Voice low tone to high tone ratio: a potential quantitative index for vowel [a:] and its nasalization

IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 2006 Jul;53(7):1437-9. doi: 10.1109/TBME.2006.873694.

Abstract

Hypernasality is associated with various diseases and interferes with speech intelligibility. A recently developed quantitative index called voice low tone to high tone ratio (VLHR) was used to estimate nasalization. The voice spectrum is divided into low-frequency power (LFP) and high-frequency power (HFP) by a specific cutoff frequency (600 Hz). VLHR is defined as the division of LFP into HFP and is expressed in decibels. Voice signals of the sustained vowel [a :] and its nasalization in eight subjects with hypernasality were collected for analysis of nasalance and VLHR. The correlation of VLHR with nasalance scores was significant (r = 0.76, p < 0.01), and so was the correlation between VLHR and perceptual hypernasality scores (r = 0.80, p < 0.01). Simultaneous recordings of nasal airflow temperature with a thermistor and voice signals in another 8 healthy subjects showed a significant correlation between temperature rate of nasal airflow and VLHR (r = 0.76, p < 0.01), as well. We conclude that VLHR may become a potential quantitative index of hypernasal speech and can be applied in either basic or clinical studies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Auscultation / methods*
  • Cleft Palate / classification
  • Cleft Palate / complications
  • Cleft Palate / diagnosis
  • Cleft Palate / physiopathology
  • Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / methods*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nose / physiopathology*
  • Phonation
  • Phonetics
  • Respiratory Sounds*
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Sound Spectrography / methods*
  • Speech Acoustics
  • Speech Production Measurement / methods*
  • Voice Disorders / classification
  • Voice Disorders / diagnosis
  • Voice Disorders / etiology
  • Voice Disorders / physiopathology*