Changes in the human vocal tract due to aging and the acoustic correlates of speech production: A pilot study
Changes in the human vocal tract due to aging and the acoustic correlates of speech production: A pilot study
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DOI：
10.1044/1092-4388(2003/054
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发表时间：
2003-06-01
影响因子：
2.6
通讯作者：
Hao, GJP
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Xue, SA;Hao, GJP
这项调查使用了声反射（AR）技术的衍生，使横截面测量的变化，由于老化的口腔和咽部的初步规范性数据，这种变化，并获得声学测量的变化，由于老化的共振峰频率的选定的口语元音和他们的长期平均频谱（LIAS）分析。38名年轻男女和38名老年男女参与了这项研究。参与者的口腔和咽腔用AR技术测量，共振峰频率用Kay Elemetrics计算机语音实验室分析。研究结果描绘了特定的和相似的模式，在人类声道配置的扬声器的性别。也就是说，老年人的口腔长度和体积与年轻人相比显着增加。老年人的总声道体积也表现出显着的增量，而总声道长度的老年人扬声器没有显着差异，从他们的年轻同伙。两种性别的老年人也表现出类似的语音产生的声学变化模式，即在选定的元音产生中共振峰频率（特别是F1）的一致降低。虽然仍然需要新的研究模型来简洁地解释老年人的语音声学变化，特别是人类声道尺寸变化的特定模式，但本研究创新性地应用了非侵入性和成本效益高的AR技术来监测与年龄相关的人类口腔和咽腔变化，这些变化对语音产生有直接影响。
This investigation used a derivation of acoustic reflection (AR) technology to make cross-sectional measurements of changes due to aging in the oral and pharyngeal preliminary normative data for such changes and to obtain acoustic measurements of changes due to aging in the formant frequencies of selected spoken vowels and their long-term average spectra (LIAS) analysis. Thirty-eight young men and women and 38 elderly men and women were involved in the study. The oral and pharyngeal lumina of the participants were measured with AR technology, and their formant frequencies were analyzed using the Kay Elemetrics Computerized Speech Lab. The findings have delineated specific and similar patterns of aging changes in human vocal tract configurations in speakers of both genders. Namely, the oral cavity length and volume of elderly speakers increased significantly compared to their young cohorts. The total vocal tract volume of elderly speakers also showed a significant increment, whereas the total vocal tract length of elderly speakers did not differ significantly from their young cohorts. Elderly speakers of both genders also showed similar patterns of acoustic changes of speech production, that is, consistent lowering of formant frequencies (especially F1) across selected vowel productions. Although new research models are still needed to succinctly account for the speech acoustic changes of the elderly, especially for their specific patterns of human vocal tract dimensional changes, this study has innovatively applied the noninvasive and cost-effective AR technology to monitor age-related human oral and pharyngeal lumina changes that have direct consequences for speech production.