Models and Analysis of Vocal Emissions for Biomedical Applications

The International Workshop on Models and Analysis of Vocal Emissions for Biomedical Applications (MAVEBA) came into being in 1999 from the particularly felt need of sharing know-how, objectives and results between areas that until then seemed quite distinct such as bioengineering, medicine and singing. MAVEBA deals with all aspects concerning the study of the human voice with applications ranging from the newborn to the adult and elderly. Over the years the initial issues have grown and spread also in other fields of research such as occupational voice disorders, neurology, rehabilitation, image and video analysis. MAVEBA takes place every two years in Firenze, Italy. This edition celebrates twenty-two years of uninterrupted and successful research in the field of voice analysis

Models and Analysis of Vocal Emissions for Biomedical Applications

The International Workshop on Models and Analysis of Vocal Emissions for Biomedical Applications (MAVEBA) came into being in 1999 from the particularly felt need of sharing know-how, objectives and results between areas that until then seemed quite distinct such as bioengineering, medicine and singing. MAVEBA deals with all aspects concerning the study of the human voice with applications ranging from the neonate to the adult and elderly. Over the years the initial issues have grown and spread also in other aspects of research such as occupational voice disorders, neurology, rehabilitation, image and video analysis. MAVEBA takes place every two years always in Firenze, Italy. This edition celebrates twenty years of uninterrupted and succesfully research in the field of voice analysis

Functional imaging of response selection

The functions of the prefrontal cortex remain controversial. Electrophysio- logical and lesion studies in monkeys have emphasised a role in working memory. In contrast, human functional neuroimaging studies and neuropsychology have emphasised a role in executive processes and volition. An alternative interpretation of the role of the prefrontal cortex is proposed in this thesis: that the prefrontal cortex mediates the attentional selection of sensory, mnemonic and motor representations in non-prefrontal cortex. This hypothesis is tested in a series of functional imaging experiments. In the first two experiments (chapters 4 and 5), event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to re-examine the role of the prefrontal cortex in spatial and spatio-temporal working memory. Maintenance of information in memory was associated with activation of posterior prefrontal cortex (area 8). In contrast, the selection of an item from several remembered items was associated with activation of the middle and anterior parts of the prefrontal cortex (including area 46). To test the generalisation of 'selection' as a function of prefrontal cortex, experiment three (chapter 6) required subjects to select either a finger to move, or a colour from a multicolour display. Free selection was associated with activation of the prefrontal cortex (area 46) bilaterally, regardless of sensory or motor modality. The selection of voluntary actions has been proposed to depend on top-down modulation of motor regions by prefrontal cortex. The fourth and fifth experiments used structural equation modelling of fMRI time -series to measure the effective connectivity among prefrontal, premotor and parietal cortex. In young (chapter 7) and old (chapter 8) normal subjects, attention to action specifically enhanced coupling between prefrontal and premotor regions. This effect was not seen in patients with Parkinson's disease (chapter 8). Lastly, positron emission tomography was used to study planning in the Tower of London task, a common clinical measure of prefrontal function. Several variants of the task were developed, to distinguish the neural basis of the task's multiple cognitive components (chapter 9). The prefrontal cortex was activated in association with generation, selection or memory for moves, rather than planning towards a specified goal. The results support a generalised role in attentional selection of neuronal representations, whether stimuli, actions, or remembered items. The hypothesised attentional selection of responses is consistent with the activation of prefrontal cortex in working memory tasks and during attention to voluntary action. This role is compatible with the neurophysiological properties of individual neurons in the prefrontal cortex and the results of neuroimaging and lesion studies

Parkinsonin tautiin liittyvien ääni- ja puheoireiden yhteys masennus- ja ahdistusoireisiin

Tämän pro gradu -tutkielman tavoitteena oli selvittää, onko ääni- ja puheoireilla yhteyttä masennus- ja ahdistusoireisiin Parkinsonin tautia sairastavilla (N = 40). Aihetta on aikaisemmin tutkittu vain vähän, ja tutkimusten tulokset ovat keskenään vaihtelevia. Tiedetään kuitenkin, että ääni- ja puheoireet sekä masennus- ja ahdistusoireet vaikuttavat kielteisesti muun muassa Parkinsonin tautia sairastavien toimintakykyyn ja elämänlaatuun. Tutkimuksen aineisto oli kerätty osana Tampereen yliopiston Kuuluva ääni -hanketta vuosina 2018 ja 2019, ja se koostui tutkittavien täyttämistä kyselylomakkeista sekä heiltä tallennetuista ääni- ja puhenäytteistä. Ääni- ja puheoireiden mittaamisessa käytimme subjektiivisen äänioirekyselyn (Voice Handicap Index) yhdeksänkohtaista versiota (VHI-9), akustista äänenlaatuindeksiä (Acoustic Voice Quality Index; AVQI) sekä vokaaliartikulaatioindeksin automaattista versiota (automatic vowel articulation index; aVAI). Masennusoireita mittasimme geriatrisella depressioasteikolla (Geriatric Depression Scale; GDS) ja ahdistusoireita geriatrisella ahdistusoirekyselyllä (Geriatric Anxiety Inventory; GAI). Ääni- ja puheoireiden yhteyttä masennus- ja ahdistusoireisiin testattiin tilastollisin menetelmin. Tässä tutkimuksessa ääni- ja puheoireiden ei havaittu olevan yhteydessä masennus- ja ahdistusoireisiin Parkinsonin tautia sairastavilla. Tutkittavilla ilmeni jonkin verran ääni- ja puheoireita, kun taas masennus- ja ahdistusoireita esiintyi vain vähän. Vaikka tässä tutkimuksessa ei todettu yhteyttä oireiden välillä, ääni- ja puheoireiden kielteinen vaikutus sairastuneiden toimintakykyyn ja elämänlaatuun on kuitenkin tärkeää huomioida. Vähäisen tutkimustiedon ja vaihtelevien tuloksien takia aihetta on myös tärkeää tutkia lisää

Auditory Scene Analysis in Alzheimer's disease

This thesis explores the behavioural and neuroanatomical picture of Auditory Scene Analysis (ASA) in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Central auditory dysfunction is an understudied symptom of AD and there has been little connection between the neuropathological profile of the disease, its relationship to generic ASA functions, and real-world listening situations. Utilising novel neuropsychological batteries alongside structural and functional imaging techniques, this thesis aims to bridge this gap through investigations of auditory spatial, speech in noise, and (as a specialised auditory scene) music processing. Spatial location discrimination and motion detection of sounds was impaired in both typical AD and posterior cortical atrophy; this was associated with atrophy in right inferior parietal and posterior medial regions. A functional imaging investigation of auditory spatial processing in typical AD revealed abnormalities in posterior medial cortical areas when sounds were changing in location. Functional imaging of an everyday auditory scenario (hearing one’s own name over background babble) highlighted alteration in a right inferior parietal region. Novel neuropsychological tasks assessing components of musical ‘scenes’ found that global aspects of pitch pattern processing were impaired in both the typical and language variant of AD while local aspects were preserved; both global and local forms of temporal processing were also intact. These patients also exhibited diminished tonality perception and musical stream segregation based on familiar templates. These investigations delineate reduced ASA capacity in a number of components that make up everyday auditory scenes. This has real world implications for both typical AD and its rarer phenotypes. Furthermore, ASA dysfunction may inform us about network breakdown, network function, and sources of phenotypic similarity in AD

Investigating the motor-sensory learning of foreign speech

This thesis presents an investigation of bilingualism as a motor learning skill, with success ultimately measured in terms of strength of a foreign accent, in contrast to the many studies of bilingualism in terms of linguistic competence. My research used functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) imaging to investigate feedforward (motor) and feedback (auditory and somatosensory) systems involved in the production of foreign speech and how these systems are modulated by proficiency levels. I investigated the function of the frontal operculum and the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) – planum temporale (posterior auditory association cortex) and parietal operculum (somatosensory association cortex) – during speech. The frontal operculum, strongly lateralised to the left, has been associated with speech since Broca performed his classic post mortem lesion-deficit analysis. Interest in the TPJ has arisen because of recent publications proposing the posterior half of the left planum temporale (± adjacent parietal operculum) as a ‘sensorimotor interface’ for speech production. My research compared activity within the frontal operculum and the TPJ during overt and covert speech. A second fMRI study examined retrospective proficiency based on existing language skills in people with English as a foreign language who were scanned during speech production in their native language and in English. A third fMRI study manipulated proficiency by training monolingual native English participants in the production of foreign speech sounds, with scanning pre- and post-training. This allowed measures of changes in activity (indicating rapid plasticity) following a short period of behavioural training in articulating novel foreign speech sounds. Training effects were observed predominantly in the striatum, and further analyses indicated that striatal activity in vocal learning is modulated by proficiency