Modulation of the Voice Related to Tremor and Vibrato

描述（由申请人提供）：声音的调制是发声系统的一个或多个组成部分的生理振荡的结果，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（如原发性震颤）相关的病理性震颤引起的，也可能是由歌手自愿产生的颤音引起的。由于声音系统的每个组成部分特有的声音调制的声学特征以及这些特征对感知的影响尚不清楚，因此很难评估震颤影响声音的个体，并确定最有效的干预措施来降低这种疾病的感知严重程度。本研究的目的是确定与喉部声带震颤相关的声学特征如何影响对声音调制幅度的感知，并确定是否可以对声源和声道滤波器进行调整，以改变声输出并减少调制感知。

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.