Selected acoustic characteristics of pathologic and normal speakers

Area of Science:

• Laryngology
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Acoustic Analysis

Background:

• Laryngeal cancer diagnosis often relies on visual inspection and biopsy.
• Objective voice analysis offers a non-invasive adjunct for early detection and differentiation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of speaking fundamental frequency (SFF) and voice perturbation measures in differentiating between healthy talkers and those with laryngeal cancer.
• To determine the diagnostic value of acoustic voice analysis in laryngeal pathology.

Main Methods:

• Acoustic analysis of speech samples from ten male subjects (five with laryngeal cancer, five healthy).
• Measurement of average speaking fundamental frequency (SFF), SFF variability, and jitter (percent and magnitude) during sustained vowels and sentence reading.
• Application of discriminant function analysis to differentiate between the two groups.

Main Results:

• Voice perturbation factors (directional and magnitudinal jitter) during sustained vowels significantly discriminated between normal and laryngeal cancer talkers.
• Speaking fundamental frequency (SFF) and its variability during sentence reading enhanced the discriminant function.

Conclusions:

• Acoustic measures of voice perturbation, specifically jitter, show promise in differentiating laryngeal cancer patients from healthy individuals.
• Combined analysis of SFF and perturbation measures can improve the accuracy of voice-based differentiation in laryngeal pathology.