The Use of Voice Cues for Speaker Gender Recognition in Cochlear Implant Recipients

2016 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 546-556 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hartmut Meister ◽  
Katrin Fürsen ◽  
Barbara Streicher ◽  
Ruth Lang-Roth ◽  
Martin Walger
Keyword(s):  
Cochlear Implant ◽  
Detailed Analysis ◽  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Stimulus Type ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Vocal Tract ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
Gender Recognition ◽  
Point Rating Scale ◽  
The Voice

PurposeThe focus of this study was to examine the influence of fundamental frequency (F0) and vocal tract length (VTL) modifications on speaker gender recognition in cochlear implant (CI) recipients for different stimulus types.MethodSingle words and sentences were manipulated using isolated or combined F0 and VTL cues. Using an 11-point rating scale, CI recipients and listeners with normal hearing rated the maleness/femaleness of the corresponding voice.ResultsSpeaker gender ratings for combined F0 and VTL modifications were similar across all stimulus types in both CI recipients and listeners with normal hearing, although the CI recipients showed a somewhat larger ambiguity. In contrast to listeners with normal hearing, F0-VTL and F0-only modifications revealed similar ratings in the CI recipients when using words as stimuli. However, when sentences were used, a difference was found between F0-VTL–based and F0-based ratings. Modifying VTL cues alone did not affect ratings in the CI group.ConclusionsWhereas speaker gender ratings by listeners with normal hearing relied on combined VTL and F0 cues, CI recipients made only limited use of VTL cues, which might be one reason behind problems with identifying the speaker on the basis of voice. However, use of the voice cues depended on stimulus type, with the greater information in sentences allowing a more detailed analysis than single words in both listener groups.

scholarly journals Parental Expectation from Children with Cochlear Implants in Indian Context: a Questionnaire Based Study

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (02) ◽  
pp. 156-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prawin Kumar ◽  
Himanshu Sanju ◽  
Rajkishor Mishra ◽  
Varun Singh ◽  
Priyanka Mohan
Keyword(s):  
Social Skills ◽  
Cochlear Implant ◽  
Parental Support ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
High Expectations ◽  
Intensive Training ◽  
Point Rating Scale ◽  
High Standards ◽  
Hearing Children

Introduction Parental support is important in the habilitation/rehabilitation of children using cochlear implant devices. Hence, it is important for families to know the realistic expectations regarding outcomes from CIs. Objective The objective of the present study is to know the parents' expectation from children using CIs. Methods For this study, we recruited 23 parents of children using CIs. We administered 15 questions translated in to Hindi related to communication abilities, social skills, academic achievement, change in future life, rehabilitation demand, and stress due to hearing impairment. Results The response of the questions (5-point rating scale) related to communication abilities showed that parents were expecting children using CIs to use the telephone (95%), to be able to detect soft sounds (99%), to listen in crowds (86%), to be able to easily understand others (76%), and to show improvement in communication skills (78%). Similarly, for questions related to social skills showed 90% of the parents expecting that their children with CIs should be able to easily make friends with normal hearing peers, and 80% of the parents were expecting the children to achieve high standards in their reading and writing skills. Questions related to change in future life showed 86% of the parents expecting their children with CIs to act like normal hearing children. Further, 78% parents showed positive response regarding importance of intensive training. However, 70% of the parents reported stress in the family due to the existence of the hearing impaired child. Conclusion Overall, the existing questionnaire-based study showed that parents have high expectations from their children with cochlear implant.

Letter to the Editor Concerning Skuk et al., “Parameter-Specific Morphing Reveals Contributions of Timbre and Fundamental Frequency Cues to the Perception of Voice Gender and Age in Cochlear Implant Users”

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (12) ◽  
pp. 4325-4326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hartmut Meister ◽  
Katrin Fuersen ◽  
Barbara Streicher ◽  
Ruth Lang-Roth ◽  
Martin Walger
Keyword(s):  
Cochlear Implant ◽  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Stimulus Type ◽  
Voice Perception ◽  
Letter To The Editor ◽  
Gender And Age ◽  
General Influence

Purpose The purpose of this letter is to compare results by Skuk et al. (2020) with Meister et al. (2016) and to point to a potential general influence of stimulus type. Conclusion Our conclusion is that presenting sentences may give cochlear implant recipients the opportunity to use timbre cues for voice perception. This might not be the case when presenting brief and sparse stimuli such as consonant–vowel–consonant or single words, which were applied in the majority of studies.

Phonetics of Singing in Western Classical Style

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Sundberg
Keyword(s):  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Vocal Fold ◽  
Vocal Tract ◽  
Formant Frequency ◽  
Vowel Identification ◽  
Fundamental Frequencies ◽  
Vocal Fold Vibration ◽  
Syllable Duration ◽  
Classical Singing ◽  
The Voice

The function of the voice organ is basically the same in classical singing as in speech. However, loud orchestral accompaniment has necessitated the use of the voice in an economical way. As a consequence, the vowel sounds tend to deviate considerably from those in speech. Male voices cluster formant three, four, and five, so that a marked peak is produced in spectrum envelope near 3,000 Hz. This helps them to get heard through a loud orchestral accompaniment. They seem to achieve this effect by widening the lower pharynx, which makes the vowels more centralized than in speech. Singers often sing at fundamental frequencies higher than the normal first formant frequency of the vowel in the lyrics. In such cases they raise the first formant frequency so that it gets somewhat higher than the fundamental frequency. This is achieved by reducing the degree of vocal tract constriction or by widening the lip and jaw openings, constricting the vocal tract in the pharyngeal end and widening it in the mouth. These deviations from speech cause difficulties in vowel identification, particularly at high fundamental frequencies. Actually, vowel identification is almost impossible above 700 Hz (pitch F5). Another great difference between vocal sound produced in speech and the classical singing tradition concerns female voices, which need to reduce the timbral differences between voice registers. Females normally speak in modal or chest register, and the transition to falsetto tends to happen somewhere above 350 Hz. The great timbral differences between these registers are avoided by establishing control over the register function, that is, over the vocal fold vibration characteristics, so that seamless transitions are achieved. In many other respects, there are more or less close similarities between speech and singing. Thus, marking phrase structure, emphasizing important events, and emotional coloring are common principles, which may make vocal artists deviate considerably from the score’s nominal description of fundamental frequency and syllable duration.

Children With Normal Hearing Are Efficient Users of Fundamental Frequency and Vocal Tract Length Cues for Voice Discrimination

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 182-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yael Zaltz ◽  
Raymond L. Goldsworthy ◽  
Laurie S. Eisenberg ◽  
Liat Kishon-Rabin
Keyword(s):  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Vocal Tract ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
Tract Length ◽  
Voice Discrimination

scholarly journals Fundamental frequency, phonation maximum time and vocal complaints in morbidly obese women

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lourdes Bernadete Rocha de SOUZA ◽  
Rayane Medeiros PEREIRA ◽  
Marquiony Marques dos SANTOS ◽  
Cynthia Meida de Almeida GODOY
Keyword(s):  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Vocal Tract ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Morbidly Obese ◽  
Obese Women ◽  
Obese People ◽  
Maximum Phonation Time ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Voice ◽  
Voice Recording

Background : Obese people have abnormal deposition of fat in the vocal tract that can interfere with the acoustic voice. Aim : To relate the fundamental frequency, the maximum phonation time and voice complaints from a group of morbidly obese women. Methods : Observational, cross-sectional and descriptive study that included 44 morbidly obese women, mean age of 42.45 (±10.31) years old, observational group and 30 women without obesity, control group, with 33.79 (±4.51)years old. The voice recording was done in a quiet environment, on a laptop using the program ANAGRAF acoustic analysis of speech sounds. To extract the values of fundamental frequency the subjects were asked to produce vowel [a] at usual intensity for a period in average of three seconds. After the voice recording, participants were prompted to produce sustained vowel [ a] , [ i] and [ u] at usual intensity and height, using a stopwatch to measure the time that each participant could hold each vowel. Results : The majority, 31(70.5%), had vocal complaints, with a higher percentage for complaints of vocal fatigue 20(64.51%) and voice failures 19(61.29%) followed by dryness of the throat in 15 (48.38%) and effort to speak 13(41.93%). There was no statistically significant difference regarding the mean fundamental frequency of the voice in both groups, but there was significance between the two groups regarding maximum phonation. Conclusion : Increased adipose tissue in the vocal tract interfered in the vocal parameters.

scholarly journals The Importance of Orofacial Motricity in the Work of Confirmation of Transgender Voice: An Integrative Review

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
João Lopes ◽  
◽  
Gisele Lopes ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Detailed Analysis ◽  
Critical Analysis ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Experimental Validation ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Gender Recognition ◽  
Exclusion Criteria ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Voice

The voice is a manifestation of the muscular process, but with psychological basis, thus being an important aspect in performance and gender recognition. The transgender person finds him/herself in biological bodies not recognized by him/her. Many of them undergo hormone treatments and surgeries to suit their gender identity and value interventions in their body and voice. Objective: To explain the importance of the relationship between orofacial motricity and voice in the phonotherapeutic work to confirm the transgender voice. Methods: A literature search was conducted covering the period from 2010 to 2020, including articles with experimental validation, which discussed therapy techniques or evaluation instruments. Results: The search resulted in 1512 publications. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 31 articles were selected. After detailed analysis of the selected abstracts and prioritization of the discussion of orofacial motricity elements, nine articles were chosen for critical analysis. All selected articles contributed to clarify the research question. Conclusion: Orofacial motricity plays a fundamental role in the confirmation of the transgender voice.

scholarly journals Cortical compensation for hearing loss, but not age, in neural tracking of the fundamental frequency of the voice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Van Canneyt ◽  
Jan Wouters ◽  
Tom Francart
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Phase Locking ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Cortical Response ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
The Voice

AbstractAuditory processing is affected by advancing age and hearing loss, but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. We investigated the effects of age and hearing loss on temporal processing of naturalistic stimuli in the auditory system. We analysed neural phase-locking to the fundamental frequency of the voice (f0) in 54 normal-hearing and 14 hearing-impaired adults between 17 and 82 years old. We found that both subcortical and cortical neural sources contributed to the responses. Results indicated that advancing age was related to smaller responses with less cortical response contributions, consistent with an age-related decrease in neural phase-locking ability. Conversely, hearing impaired subjects displayed larger responses compared to age-matched normal hearing controls. This was due to additional cortical response contributions which were stronger for participants with more severe hearing loss. This is consistent with the recruitment of additional cortical sources for auditory processing in persons with hearing impairment.

scholarly journals Domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) are sensitive to the correlation between pitch and timbre in human speech

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sasha K. Sturdy ◽  
David R. R. Smith ◽  
David N. George
Keyword(s):  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Adult Male ◽  
Vocal Tract ◽  
Vocal Folds ◽  
Domestic Dogs ◽  
Canis Lupus Familiaris ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Male Voice ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
The Voice

AbstractThe perceived pitch of human voices is highly correlated with the fundamental frequency (f0) of the laryngeal source, which is determined largely by the length and mass of the vocal folds. The vocal folds are larger in adult males than in adult females, and men’s voices consequently have a lower pitch than women’s. The length of the supralaryngeal vocal tract (vocal-tract length; VTL) affects the resonant frequencies (formants) of speech which characterize the timbre of the voice. Men’s longer vocal tracts produce lower frequency, and less dispersed, formants than women’s shorter vocal tracts. Pitch and timbre combine to influence the perception of speaker characteristics such as size and age. Together, they can be used to categorize speaker sex with almost perfect accuracy. While it is known that domestic dogs can match a voice to a person of the same sex, there has been no investigation into whether dogs are sensitive to the correlation between pitch and timbre. We recorded a female voice giving three commands (‘Sit’, ‘Lay down’, ‘Come here’), and manipulated the recordings to lower the fundamental frequency (thus lowering pitch), increase simulated VTL (hence affecting timbre), or both (synthesized adult male voice). Dogs responded to the original adult female and synthesized adult male voices equivalently. Their tendency to obey the commands was, however, reduced when either pitch or timbre was manipulated alone. These results suggest that dogs are sensitive to both the pitch and timbre of human voices, and that they learn about the natural covariation of these perceptual attributes.

scholarly journals Cortical compensation for hearing loss, but not age, in neural tracking of the fundamental frequency of the voice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Van Canneyt ◽  
Jan Wouters ◽  
Tom Francart
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Auditory System ◽  
Phase Locking ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Cortical Response ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Latency Range ◽  
The Voice

Auditory processing is affected by advancing age and hearing loss, but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. We investigated the effects of age and hearing loss on temporal processing of naturalistic stimuli in the auditory system. We employed a recently developed objective measure for neural phase-locking to the fundamental frequency of the voice (f0) which uses continuous natural speech as a stimulus, i.e. 'f0 tracking'. F0-tracking responses from 54 normal hearing and 14 hearing impaired adults of varying ages were analysed. The responses were evoked by a Flemish story with a male talker and contained contributions from both subcortical and cortical sources. Results indicated that advancing age was related to smaller responses with less cortical response contributions. This is consistent with an age-related decrease in neural phase-locking ability at frequencies in the range of the f0, possibly due to decreased inhibition in the auditory system. Conversely, hearing impaired subjects displayed larger responses compared to age-matched normal hearing controls. This was due to additional cortical response contributions in the 38-50 ms latency range, which were stronger for participants with more severe hearing loss. This is consistent with hearing-loss induced cortical reorganisation and recruitment of additional neural resources to aid in speech perception.

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