BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The change of voice quality on menstrual cycle is regarded as general in professionals. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the changes of acoustic parameters during menstrual cycle in general population. METHODS: Twenty young adults were asked to produce vowel /a/, /i/ , and /u/ and to read book audibly at the proliferative phase of the menstrual cycle and premenstrual phase. And then, the sound of the voice in each case was recorded and analyzed by the Computerized Speech Lab. (CSL, Kay Elemetrics, Model 4300B, USA). The statistical analyses were performed using paired t-test to compare several variables of data. RESULTS: Compared with the acoustic parameters between two periods, there were no significant differences in all subjects. But the acoustic parameters with book-reading loudly during menstrual cycles revealed slight changes in voice quality. CONCLUSION: The change of voice quality, especially the fatigue of voice may be concerned with menstrual cycle, so more careful voice habituation was required during the menstrual period.
Acoustics ; Fatigue ; Female ; Humans ; Menstrual Cycle* ; Voice Quality* ; Voice* ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to analyze clinical safety of PMR(Palatal Muscle Resection) in obstructive sleep apnea patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fourteen Patients underwent only PMR were reviewed retrospectively. ESS(Epworth Sleepiness Scale) was analyzed after PMR surgery to assess surgical results. Visual Analogue Scale were reviewed to evaluate postoperative pain. Eustachian tube function test, voice analysis, and measurement of forced expiration power were done after two months of surgery. RESULTS: ESS were improved after PMR. There were little postoperative pain. There was no significant change is observed vowel sounds except /u/ nor postoperative nasalization in voice, Eustachian tube dysfunction and change of expiration power. CONCLUSION: PMR may be regarded clinically safe surgery in obstructive sleep apnea patient.
Eustachian Tube ; Humans ; Muscles ; Pain, Postoperative ; Palate ; Phonation ; Retrospective Studies ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; Voice

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Septoplasty with turbinoplasty has the potential to affect voice because it alters the vocal tract. We conducted a study to evaluate the postoperative voice changes and aid using subjective and objective data regarding the effect of surgery. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: To rule out gender bias, only 23 male patients were enrolled. Voice change was analyzed by a subjective test through a questionnaire and an objective test through acoustic analysis. During each recording session, the subject uttered the words [^m ma: the Korean word for "mother"] and [Nu Na: the Korean word for "sister"]. We then analyzed the nasal consonant ([m] in [^m ma]), the nasalized vowel ([a] in [^m ma] and [a] in [Nu Na]), and the intensity of nasal sound. RESULTS: In the subjective study, 73.9% of patients reported an improvement in the quality of voice after surgery. Most of the patients reported a reduction in twang. In the objective study, there was a tendency for increased formant frequencies in the nasal consonant, and F1 of [m] in [^m ma] was increased significantly (p=0.003). There was also a tendency for decreased formant frequencies in the nasalized vowel, F2 of [a] in [^m ma] and F1 of [a] in [Nu Na] were decreased significantly (p<0.001), and there was an increase in the intensity of nasal sound, [^m ma] (p=0.009) and [Nu Na] (p=0.013). CONCLUSION: Nasal sound became clearer with reduced twang after surgery. It is important to keep the phonetic aspect in mind when patients are undergoing septoplasty with turbinoplasty.
Acoustics ; Humans ; Male ; Methods ; Nasal Cavity ; Nasal Obstruction ; Sexism ; Voice*

Background and Objectives: The most common cause of snoring in children is enlarged tonsils and adenoids. However, there is insufficient evidence to determine whether the subjective measurement of tonsil hypertrophy, the most common prevailing method, reflects the actual tonsil size and volume. Therefore, we tried to determine whether the subjective grading of tonsil size and actual tonsil volume is related, and whether tonsil volume, weight, and adenoid index are correlated with the acoustic analysis of snoring.Subjects and Method The study was conducted on 21 children between the ages of 4 and 15 who came for tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy due to snoring symptoms. The degree of adenotonsillar hypertrophy was measured using the Brodsky grading scale and adenoid index. After tonsillectomy, the volume and weight of resected tonsil were measured. For acoustic analysis, the Praat software was used to determine formant frequency and sound intensity. A linear regression model and a dummy variable were used to determine the correlation between the quantitative values of tonsil, adenoid and the result of acoustic analysis. Results: The Brodsky tonsil grade tended to match the actual tonsil volume, but it was not statistically significant (p=0.073). There was no correlation between snoring intensity and actual tonsil volume, weight, and adenoid index. Formant frequency 1 and 2 were statistically negatively correlated with the actual tonsil volume (p=0.011, 0.002). Conclusion The study confirmed that the acoustic analysis of pediatric snoring could be a screening test to predict tonsil volume and changes in the vocal tract due to tonsil hypertrophy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Crying is the only mode of communication, which simultaneously reflects a variety of complex neurophysiologic and laryngeal functions in neonates. Acoustic analysis of crying, as an early noninvasive screening measure of the neurophysiological integrity, can reveal important information about the biological status of neonate. The purpose of this research was to establish normative acoustic data on healthy neonatal crying. This study also attempted to find out the differences in the pattern of healthy neonatal crying according to body weight, sex and delivery type (normal spontaneous vaginal delivery and Cesarean section). SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Crying of 33 healthy full term neonates (19 males, 14 females) were sampled within 1 wk postpartum. All neonates were free of any respiratory, laryngeal, CNS pathology according to the charts reviewed at one month. All neonates were considered to have normal hearing as they passed a hearing screening test using Evoked Otoacoustic Emission (EOAE). Body weight, sex, delivery type and Apgar score (1 min, 5 min) were measured. The acoustic characteristics of neonatal crying were analyzed by CSL (Computerized Speech Lab) using parameters such as fundamental frequency (F0), Jitter (%), Shimmer (%), NHR and formant frequency (F1, F2, F3). Statistics were analyzed by independent T-test, pearson's correlation coefficients (p<0.05, by SPSS ver 10.0). RESULTS: Mean body weight and Apgar score (1 min, 5 min) of all subjects were within normal range. Mean fundamental frequency (F0) value of healthy full term neonatal crying was 411.1 Hz. This value showed a shift to higher frequencies in neonates born by spontaneous vaginal delivery (SVD) than Cesarean section (C-sec) delivery, and so, in males than females. But statistic significance in F0 between delivery types, and between sex were not found (p-value 0.158, 0.508). Mean Jitter (%), Shimmer (%) and NHR value were 2.02, 8.34 and 0.32, respectively. These values showed a shift to higher in neonates born by C-sec delivery than SVD, and also in males than females. But statistical significance in these parameters between delivery types, and between sex were not found (p-value 0.442, 0.841, 0.301, 0.082, 0.070, 0.244). Formant frequency F1, F2 and F3 were 1882.4 Hz, 3877.9 Hz and 6053.6 Hz, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in these values between sex, and delivery types (p-value 0.619, 0.785, 0.953, 0.255, 0.698, 0.636). For the healthy full term neonates, F0 value had a tendency to decrease as the body weight increases. But there was no significantly strong negative correlations between them. (r=-0.324, p-value 0.066). Other acoustic parameters didn't show any statistically significant relevance with body weight, either. CONCLUSION: Body weight, sex and delivery type had little influence over acoustic parameters of healthy full term neonatal crying. However, this acoustic analysis of crying could be helpful in differentiating between normal and abnormal neonates, and in screening CNS dysfunction, neurophysiologic and laryngeal abnormality.
Acoustics* ; Apgar Score ; Body Weight* ; Cesarean Section ; Crying* ; Female ; Hearing ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Pathology ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Reference Values

No abstract available.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Uterus*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Adenotonsillectomy is a highly effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea symptoms in children. In this study, to investigate the effects of adenotonsillectomy on snoring in children, we analyzed and compared snoring sounds recorded using a smartphone before and after adenotonsillectomy. We also determined whether it is possible to use acoustic analysis to monitor snoring in children. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: A total of 20 children diagnosed with snoring and had undergone adenotonsillectomy performed by the same surgeon were enrolled for the study. Snoring was recorded by patients' caregivers using smartphones before and after the surgery (mean of 8.5 days) and analyzed. Questionnaires were conducted by telephone survey at 3 months and 12 months after the surgery to determine snoring status. RESULTS: Snoring completely ceased in 25% of patients and decreased in the remaining 75% during the immediate follow-up period (mean of 8.5 days; from 58.07±9.35 dB to 42.59±7.89 dB, p<0.001), and disappeared in all of the patients by 3 months after adenotonsillectomy. Snoring recurred only in one patient after 1 year. A frequency analysis offered no evident statistically significant changes during the immediate follow-up period, indicating that although snoring volume had decreased, no anatomical change had developed in the patient. Spectrography was useful in investigating the snoring patterns before and after adenotonsillectomy. CONCLUSION: The results showed that acoustic analysis of snoring sounds obtained using a smartphone may be useful for monitoring snoring during follow-up after adenotonsillectomy in pediatric snoring patients.
Acoustics* ; Caregivers ; Child* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Methods ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; Smartphone* ; Snoring* ; Telephone ; Tonsillectomy

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Many people have been concerned about the voice change after uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP). A number of studies reported acoustic changes after UPPP. However, there have not been any reports regarding the association of anatomic changes and acoustic results after UPPP. The purpose of this study is to analyze changes of the voice and changes in the vocal tract after UPPP and to evaluate whether the anatomical changes of vocal tract have an effect on the voice change or not. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: By using computerized speech laboratory (CSL), we analyzed fourteen UPPP cases on the formant frequencies of six vowels (/a/, /i/, /u/, /o/, /e/) and three nasal consonants (/eom/, /eoung/, /kin/). By using MR image, we analyzed the changes of vocal tract four weeks after UPPP with preoperative findings in one case. RESULTS: In acoustic analysis, the second formant frequencies of /i/ and /u/ phonation were significantly reduced postoperatively compared to those of preoperative status. In imaging study of /i/ and /u/, the soft palate were contracted along with the widening of the oropharynx and the tongue was shifted toward posterior pharyngeal wall to compensate. CONCLUSION: UPPP reduced the second formant of /i/ and /u/, which did not result in serious voice change.
Acoustics ; Contracts ; Oropharynx ; Palate ; Palate, Soft ; Phonation ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; Tongue ; Voice

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Some chronic sinusitis patients complain that voice change, which occurs during surgeries such as endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS), can lead to changes in the vocal organ. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of ESS on voice by questionnaire and voice analysis. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Thirty patients (male 15, female 15) who had underwent ESS were enrolled. All patients had sinusitis confirmed by preoperative CT scan. We analyzed subjective voice impairment by way of questionnaire (Korean-Version of Voice Handicap Index, KVHI) and objective voice impairment by Computerized Speech Laboratory one day preceding and at one month following the surgery. Finally, the subjective impairment of voice was analyzed by subjective questionnaire at postoperative 6 months. In objective analysis, we analysis 11 ESS cases on the formant frequencies of five vowels (/a/, /i/, /u/, /e/, /o/) and three nasal consonants (/namu/, /nuna/, /umma/). RESULTS: In the questionnaire (KVHI), there was a little change in the functional, physical and emotional field but the results were not statistically significant (p>0.05). In the voice analysis, the first formant frequencies of /a/, /u/, the third formant frequency of /o/ of vowel and /a/ of /namu/ of nasal consonant were significantly increased postoperatively compared to those of the preoperative status (p<0.05). However, there was no major change. There was no subjective voice impairment at 6 months after operation. CONCLUSION: After ESS, some voice impairment were observed in KVHI and some formant frequencies were increased in the objective voice analysis but without serious major voice changes. We conclude that ESS is relatively safe from voice point of view; however, for some professional voice users, particular attention needs to be paid regarding fine voice changes.
Acoustics ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sinusitis ; Voice

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The survival rate of laryngeal cancer has improved in recent day. But in case of advanced cancer, radical destructive surgery is required for survival. So early detection of laryngeal cancer prevent from this disastrous condition. In this point of view, mass screening test for early detection of laryngeal cancer is necessary. Screening tests using voice has many advantages of being simple, non invasive, and requiring less space. In this system, the most important factor is the selection of acoustic parameters to be used in voice analysis. Thus authors studied the acoustic parameters that can differentiate normal, benign, malignant laryngeal diseases by an acoustic analyzing system and we also checked the availability of parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated the voice analyzed data from 25 laryngeal malignancy patients, 33 benign laryngeal disease patients, 35 normal control who visited PNUH otolaryngology department from October 1996 to May 1998. A computerized speech lab. 4300B (CSL) was used to carry out the analysis of each voice sample and statistical analysis, ANOVA. Canonical analysis and cumulative frequency curve were used. RESULTS: The statistically significant parameters that can differentiate normal and malignant laryngeal disease groups were 15 parameters and can differentiate normal and benign laryngeal disease group were 9 parameters and that can differentiate benign and malignant laryngeal disease group were 7 parameters. CONCLUSION: We consider that these parameters and detection programs may be effective in development of a screening system using voice only. Developing diagnostic tools and programs would need further study of phonetics and voice engineering.
Acoustics* ; Diagnosis, Differential* ; Fibrinogen ; Humans ; Laryngeal Diseases ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; Mass Screening ; Otolaryngology ; Phonetics ; Survival Rate ; Voice*