Acoustic and Perceptual Evaluation of Voice and Speech Quality

Abstract

Perceptual evaluations could indicate significant differences between the patients who underwent laryngectomy and irradiated patients, where the acoustic analysis failed to reflect these differences. Both patient groups could be distinguished according to acoustic and temporal measures when compared with normal controls. The acoustic analyses were more sufficient in voices without severe dysfunction.

Development and validation of the Gothenburg Trismus Questionnaire (GTQ)

“…Items were retained if the factor loadings were ≥ 0.4 and conceptually relevant in that factor. Moreover, examination of scree-plots, eigenvalues (> 1, Kaiser’s criterion) 22 and proportion of the total variance accounted for, were considered when determining the number of factors.…”

Scaling of Voice Pleasantness and Acceptability in Tracheoesophageal Speakers

“…In fact, voice pleasantness and acceptability are dimensions that have been used as outcome measures in a number of studies relative to the voice and speech performance of alaryngeal speakers 19,23-28 to evaluate the success of medical treatments/surgical procedures, 25,26 to compare across groups of speakers 24,27 or to evaluate speech success within a group. 19 Despite the knowledge that most voice and speech attributes are prothetic in nature, voice pleasantness and acceptability have been measured primarily using EAI scales.…”

Influence of Speaker Gender on Listener Judgments of Tracheoesophageal Speech

“…5,15,20,21,27,43 Judgments of ACC hold the potential that factors intrinsic to the listener are weighed in the perceptual process. That is, listeners are asked to identify how ''acceptable'' they find a given signal relative to their own status as a listener.…”

“…18,19 Dimensions such as these have been used in past studies to evaluate the success of medical treatments and surgical procedures associated with laryngeal cancer, to compare across groups of alaryngeal speakers, and to evaluate speech success within a group. 5,16,[20][21][22] In general, results have shown that regardless of gender or perceived communicative ''excellence,'' TE speakers are judged as having voices that are less acceptable and poorer in voice quality than normal speakers. 12,20,21 Recently, Eadie and Doyle 22 investigated auditory-perceptual dimensions in TE speakers.…”