Studying vocal fold non-stationary behavior during connected speech using high-speed videoendoscopy

• Published in: The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America Vol. 144; no. 3; p. 1766
• Main Authors: Naghibolhosseini, Maryam, Deliyski, Dimitar, Zacharias, Stephanie, de Alarcon, Alessandro, Orlikoff, Robert
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01-09-2018
• ISSN: 0001-4966; 1520-8524
• DOI: 10.1121/1.5067811

Studying voice production during running speech can provide new knowledge about the mechanisms of voice production with and without disorder. Laryngeal high-speed videoendoscopy (HSV) systems are powerful tools for studying laryngeal function and, if coupled with flexible fiberoptic endoscopes, they can provide unique possibilities to measure vocal fold vibration with high temporal resolution during connected speech. Hence, we can measure the non-stationary behaviors of the vocal folds, such as the glottal attack and offset times in running speech. In this study, a custom-built flexible fiberoptic HSV system was used to record a “Rainbow Passage” production from a vocally normal female. Automated temporal and spatial segmentation algorithms were developed to determine the time stamps of the vibrating vocal folds and the edges of the vocal folds during phonation. The glottal attack time and offset times were then measured from the temporally and spatially segmented HSV images. The amplification ratio was computed during the phonation onset and the damping ratio was calculated at the offset of sustained portion of phonation. These measures can be used to describe the laryngeal mechanisms of voice production in connected speech.