The Relationship Between Pitch Discrimination and Acoustic Voice Measures in a Cohort of Female Speakers.

Pitch discrimination—Auditory perception—Voice quality—Musical training

Journal

Journal of voice : official journal of the Voice Foundation
ISSN: 1873-4588
Titre abrégé: J Voice
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 8712262

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
19 Mar 2022
Historique:
received: 18 10 2021
revised: 13 02 2022
accepted: 13 02 2022
entrez: 23 3 2022
pubmed: 24 3 2022
medline: 24 3 2022
Statut: aheadofprint

Résumé

Evidence across a range of musically trained, hearing disordered and voice disordered populations present conflicting results regarding the relationship between pitch discrimination (PD) and voice quality. PD characteristics of female speakers with and without a musical training background and no self-reported voice disorder, and the relationship between PD and voice quality in this particular population, have not been investigated. To evaluate PD characteristics in a cohort of female participants without a self-reported voice disorder and the relationship between PD and acoustic voice measures. One hundred fourteen female participants were studied, all of whom self-reported as being non-voice disordered. All completed the Newcastle Assessment of Pitch Discrimination which involved a two-tone PD task. Their voices were recorded producing standardized vocal tasks. Voice samples were acoustically analyzed for frequency-domain measures (fundamental frequency and its standard deviation, and harmonics-to-noise ratio) and spectral-domain measures (cepstral peak prominence and the Cepstral/Spectral Index of Dysphonia). Data were analyzed for the whole cohort and for musical and non-musical training backgrounds. In the whole cohort, there were no significant correlations between PD and acoustic voice measures. PD accuracy in musically trained speakers was better than in non-trained speakers and correlated with fundamental frequency standard deviation in prolonged vowel tasks. Vocalists demonstrated superior PD accuracy and fundamental frequency standard deviation in prolonged vowels compared to instrumentalists but did not show significant correlations between PD and acoustic measures. The Newcastle Assessment of Pitch Discrimination was a reliable tool, showing moderate-good prediction value in differentiating musical background. There was little evidence of a relationship between PD and acoustic measures of voice quality, regardless of musical training background and superior PD accuracy among the musically trained. These data do not support ideas concerning the co-development of perception and action among individuals identified as having voice quality measures within normal ranges. Numerous measures of voice quality, including measures sensitive to pitch, did not distinguish across musically and non-musically trained individuals, despite individual differences in pitch discrimination.

Sections du résumé

BACKGROUND BACKGROUND
Evidence across a range of musically trained, hearing disordered and voice disordered populations present conflicting results regarding the relationship between pitch discrimination (PD) and voice quality. PD characteristics of female speakers with and without a musical training background and no self-reported voice disorder, and the relationship between PD and voice quality in this particular population, have not been investigated.
AIMS OBJECTIVE
To evaluate PD characteristics in a cohort of female participants without a self-reported voice disorder and the relationship between PD and acoustic voice measures.
METHOD METHODS
One hundred fourteen female participants were studied, all of whom self-reported as being non-voice disordered. All completed the Newcastle Assessment of Pitch Discrimination which involved a two-tone PD task. Their voices were recorded producing standardized vocal tasks. Voice samples were acoustically analyzed for frequency-domain measures (fundamental frequency and its standard deviation, and harmonics-to-noise ratio) and spectral-domain measures (cepstral peak prominence and the Cepstral/Spectral Index of Dysphonia). Data were analyzed for the whole cohort and for musical and non-musical training backgrounds.
RESULTS RESULTS
In the whole cohort, there were no significant correlations between PD and acoustic voice measures. PD accuracy in musically trained speakers was better than in non-trained speakers and correlated with fundamental frequency standard deviation in prolonged vowel tasks. Vocalists demonstrated superior PD accuracy and fundamental frequency standard deviation in prolonged vowels compared to instrumentalists but did not show significant correlations between PD and acoustic measures. The Newcastle Assessment of Pitch Discrimination was a reliable tool, showing moderate-good prediction value in differentiating musical background.
CONCLUSIONS CONCLUSIONS
There was little evidence of a relationship between PD and acoustic measures of voice quality, regardless of musical training background and superior PD accuracy among the musically trained. These data do not support ideas concerning the co-development of perception and action among individuals identified as having voice quality measures within normal ranges. Numerous measures of voice quality, including measures sensitive to pitch, did not distinguish across musically and non-musically trained individuals, despite individual differences in pitch discrimination.

Identifiants

pubmed: 35317969
pii: S0892-1997(22)00054-6
doi: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2022.02.015
pii:
doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Sous-ensembles de citation

IM

Informations de copyright

Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

Competing interests The authors have no competing interests to declare in this study.

Auteurs

Emily Wing-Tung Yun (EW)

Discipline of Speech Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney School of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Doctor Liang Voice Program, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney School of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.

Duy Duong Nguyen (DD)

Discipline of Speech Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney School of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Doctor Liang Voice Program, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney School of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.

Paul Carding (P)

Oxford Institute of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Research, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, England.

Nicola J Hodges (NJ)

School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Antonia Margarita Chacon (AM)

Discipline of Speech Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney School of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Doctor Liang Voice Program, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney School of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.

Catherine Madill (C)

Discipline of Speech Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney School of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Doctor Liang Voice Program, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney School of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. Electronic address: cate.madill@sydney.edu.au.

Classifications MeSH