[An electroglottographical analysis of certain voice parameters: normative indications]

Area of Science:

• Speech science
• Acoustic phonetics
• Voice analysis

Context:

• Comprehensive voice evaluation requires objective measures beyond perceptual and organic assessments.
• Normative data for objective voice analysis is essential for clinical and research applications.
• The Speech Research Laboratory at the University of Pretoria aimed to establish such normative indications.

Purpose:

• To establish normative values for fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer, and harmonic-to-noise ratio in a perceptually normal voice population.
• To investigate the influence of age, loudness, and vowel production on these objective voice parameters.

Summary:

• Twenty-five men and 25 women aged 8-80 years with normal voices underwent objective voice analysis.
• Key parameters measured included fundamental frequency, cycle-to-cycle frequency variation (jitter), cycle-to-cycle amplitude variation (shimmer), and harmonic/noise ratio.
• Results demonstrated that these acoustic measures are sensitive to changes associated with aging, loudness variations, and the production of different vowels.

Impact:

• Provides essential normative data for objective voice analysis in research and clinical settings.
• Highlights the sensitivity of acoustic voice parameters to physiological and production-related changes.
• Informs diagnostic practices and enhances the understanding of voice variability across different conditions.