Modulation of the Voice Related to Tremor and Vibrato

说明书(申请人提供)：声音的调制是发声系统的一个或多个组件内生理振荡的结果，该发声系统包括呼吸器(即压力供应)、喉部(即声源)和声道(即声音过滤器)。这些振荡可能是由与神经系统疾病相关的病理性震颤引起的，比如特发性震颤，或者是歌手自愿产生颤音。由于发声系统每个组成部分特有的语音调制的声学特征以及这些特征对知觉的影响还没有被很好地了解，因此很难评估影响嗓音的震颤个体，并确定最有效的干预措施来降低知觉障碍的严重程度。这项研究的目的是确定与喉部发声颤动相关的声学特性如何影响对语音调制幅度的感知，并确定是否可以对声源和声道过滤器进行调整以改变声学输出并减少对调制的感知。 这项研究将使用语音产生的计算模型和受过训练的产生颤音的歌手来模拟喉部发声颤动。声带的运动学模型耦合到声道面积函数的参数模型将被用来模拟具有不同声源特征(即声带)的基于喉部的声音颤动 声带内收的长度和程度)和不同的声道过滤特征(即元音形状)。预计，通过调整声源和声道滤波器以降低高次谐波的幅度，声学输出的特性 将被改变，并且对语音调制幅度的感知将被降低。此外，训练有素的歌手将被要求对声源和声道过滤器进行同样的调整，以调查个人是否可以随意修改这些特征，以改变声音输出并减少对声音调制幅度的感知。这项研究的发现将对选择适当的补偿策略来降低震颤患者声音调制的知觉严重程度具有一定的指导意义 喉咙。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Modulation of the voice is a result of physiologic oscillation within one or more components of the vocal system including the breathing apparatus (i.e., pressure supply), the larynx (i.e. sound source), and the vocal tract (i.e., sound filter). These oscillations may be caused by pathologic tremor associated with neurological disorders like essential tremor or by volitional production of vibrato in singers. Because the acoustic characteristics of voice modulation specific to each component of the vocal system and the effect of these characteristics on perception are not well-understood, it is difficult to assess individuals with tremor affecting the voice and to determine the most effective interventions for reducing the perceptual severity of the disorder. The purpose of this study is to determine how the acoustic characteristics associated with laryngeal-based vocal tremor affect the perception of the magnitude of voice modulation, and to determine if adjustments can be made to the voice source and vocal tract filter to alter the acoustic output and reduce the perception of modulation. This research will be carried out using both a computational model of speech production and trained singers producing vibrato to simulate laryngeal-based vocal tremor. A kinematic model of the vocal folds coupled to a parametric model of the vocal tract area function will be used to simulate laryngeal-based vocal tremor with different voice source characteristics (i.e., vocal fold length and degree of vocal fold adduction) and different vocal tract filter characteristics (i.e., vowel shapes). It is expected that, by making adjustments to the voice source and vocal tract filter that reduce the amplitude of the upper harmonics, the characteristics of the acoustic output will be altered and the perception of magnitude of voice modulation will be reduced. In addition, trained singers will be asked to make the same adjustments to the voice source and vocal tract filter to investigate whether individuals can volitionally modify these characteristics to alter th acoustic output and reduce the perception of the magnitude of voice modulation. The findings from this study will have implications for selecting appropriate compensatory strategies to reduce the perceptual severity of modulation of the voice for individuals with tremor affecting the larynx.