Feature Analysis of the Vowel [a:] in Individuals With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Healthy Controls
Alper Idrisoglu1, Ana Luiza Dallora Moraes1, Abbas Cheddad2
1Department of Health, Blekinge Institute of Technology, Karlskrona 371 41, Sweden.
Background:
In addition to impairing the lung function, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) also affects phonatory characteristics. Recent research highlights the potential of voice as a digital biomarker to support clinical decision-making. While machine learning (ML) can detect disease patterns from acoustic features, clinical relevance requires understanding the relationship between the disorder and acoustic features.
Objective:
This study investigates both statistical and clinical significance using Baseline Acoustic (BLA) and Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficient (MFCC) features with focusing on individuals with COPD and healthy controls (HC).
Method:
Acoustic features derived from Swedish utterances of the vowel [a:], recorded via mobile phones from 48 age-matched participants (24 COPD, 24 HC; equal gender distribution), were analyzed. To reduce bias from varying recording counts, features were aggregated by averaging 10 randomly selected recordings per participant over 100 iterations. Vowel articulation was visualized in the vowel quadrilateral space using F1 (tongue height) and F2 (tongue advancement). Group differences were assessed using the Shapiro-Wilk test, Mann-Whitney U test (α = 0.05), Benjamini-Hochberg (BH) and Bonferroni corrections, Permutational Multivariate Analysis of Variance (PERMANOVA) test, and Cliff's Delta (δ).
Results:
Of 101 features, 29 remained significant after BH correction and one after Bonferroni. Multivariate testing (p = 0.019) showed group separation. Additionally, 34 features demonstrated large effect sizes, suggesting potential as digital biomarkers.
Conclusion:
Voice data recorded via mobile phones capture meaningful acoustic differences associated with COPD. These findings support the integration of voice-based assessments into eHealth platforms for noninvasive COPD screening and monitoring, which is pending further validation on larger populations.
Clinical Trial:
NCT06705647.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Physical Assessment of the Respiratory Tract IV: Auscultation
Breath Sounds
Breath sounds are categorized into vesicular, bronchovesicular, and bronchial.
01:27Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-IV: Assessement and Diagnostic Studies
Medical History
01:31Respiratory System Abnormal Finding II: Palpation and Auscultation
Palpation Findings
During a respiratory assessment, palpation can reveal several vital abnormalities:
01:23Assessment of Respiration
Subjective Assessment: Nurses interview the patient to gather information directly during the subjective assessment. It includes questions about the individual's medical history, medications, and symptoms, focusing on past respiratory conditions like...
01:25Pulmonary Function Tests
Pulmonary Function Tests are crucial diagnostic tools for assessing respiratory function, particularly in patients with chronic respiratory disorders. They comprehensively evaluate lung volumes, ventilatory function, breathing mechanics, diffusion, and gas exchange. These tests help diagnose pulmonary diseases and play a significant role in monitoring disease progression, evaluating disability, and assessing response to therapy.
PFTs involve using a spirometer, a...
01:22Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Smoking is a primary risk factor for COPD, with over 80% of patients having a history of it. Patients typically experience progressive dyspnea or labored breathing, frequent coughing, and recurrent pulmonary infections. Many eventually succumb to respiratory failure, characterized by...