Whispering by Individuals Using Tracheoesophageal Speech

Area of Science:

• Speech-language pathology
• Otolaryngology
• Acoustic analysis

Background:

• Tracheoesophageal (TE) speech is a method of voice restoration after total laryngectomy.
• Whispering is a non-phonatory vocal behavior that differs acoustically from normal speech.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare whispering ability in adults using tracheoesophageal (TE) speech versus adults with a larynx.
• To evaluate listener perception, spectrogram analysis, and acoustic measures of whispering attempts.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, cross-sectional study involving 17 TE speakers and 10 laryngeal speakers.
• Participants produced sentences in a whisper and spoken voice.
• Acoustic signals were analyzed, and listeners judged utterances as whispered or spoken.

Main Results:

• Only 29% of TE speakers were perceived as whispering; others sounded like they were speaking.
• Spectrograms of TE whispers often showed a "voicing bar," indicating voicing.
• TE speakers exhibited slower speaking rates and a smaller difference in sound pressure level between spoken and whisper modes.

Conclusions:

• While some individuals using TE speech can produce an audible whisper, the majority are perceived as speaking.
• The ability to whisper via TE speech is possible and could be a therapeutic goal for some patients.
• Further research is needed to determine the prevalence of whisper ability in TE speakers and optimal training methods.