Models and Analysis of Vocal Emissions for Biomedical Applications

The Models and Analysis of Vocal Emissions with Biomedical Applications (MAVEBA) workshop 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

Models and analysis of vocal emissions for biomedical applications: 5th International Workshop: December 13-15, 2007, Firenze, Italy

The MAVEBA Workshop proceedings, held on a biannual basis, collect the scientific papers presented both as oral and poster contributions, during the conference. The main subjects are: development of theoretical and mechanical models as an aid to the study of main phonatory dysfunctions, as well as the biomedical engineering methods for the analysis of voice signals and images, as a support to clinical diagnosis and classification of vocal pathologies. The Workshop has the sponsorship of: Ente Cassa Risparmio di Firenze, COST Action 2103, Biomedical Signal Processing and Control Journal (Elsevier Eds.), IEEE Biomedical Engineering Soc. Special Issues of International Journals have been, and will be, published, collecting selected papers from the conference

The Effect of Breathy and Strained Vocal Quality on Vowel Perception

INTRODUCTION: Research into speech intelligibility in dysarthria historically focuses on articulation deficits. However, voice quality deficits associated with motor speech disorders may also impact speech perception. This study investigates how breathy and strained vocal quality affects vowel identification and ratings of vowel goodness. METHODS: A healthy speaker recorded vowels with normal, simulated breathy and simulated strained voice quality. Acoustic, physiologic, and perceptual measures confirmed the presence of the desired voice deficits. 16 volunteer listeners participated in three perceptual tasks: vowel identification, vowel goodness ratings, and voice quality ratings. RESULTS: In the voice quality rating task, listeners detected voice quality deficits with ease. Breathy and strained stimuli were rated as significantly poorer in voice quality than normal stimuli. The voice quality deficits did not appear to impact vowel identification: identification accuracy for all three sets was high (95% and above) and scores did not differ significantly across the three sets of vowels. Listener judgments of vowel goodness, however, were affected by voice quality. Breathy and strained vowels were rated as significantly poorer than normal vowels. In addition, listeners needed more time to rate the articulatory goodness of the disordered stimuli and replayed them more often while making their goodness judgments. CONCLUSION: Simulation of voice quality deficits appears to be a valid way of assessing the impact of speech factors beyond articulation on the perception of disordered speech. Stimuli with simulated breathiness and strain were rated as poorer in voice quality than normally voiced vowels, indicating that voice quality is salient to listeners. Although identification accuracy was not affected by voice quality deficits, breathy and strained vowels were judged as poorer in articulatory goodness than normally voiced vowels. Abnormal voice quality appeared to interfere with listener judgments of the articulatory goodness of vowels. Voice quality deficits associated with dysarthria may affect speech perception by causing increased listener effort even if speech intelligibility is not directly affected. Further study of the effect of voice quality in more realistic listening conditions (e.g., in noise) with more complex speech stimuli (e.g., sentences or conversation) will help determine the need for phonatory treatment of dysarthric speech

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

Comparison of parametrization methods of electroglottographic and inverse filtered acoustic speech pressure signals in distinguishing between phonation types

Contains environmental variables. The date of measurement, daily mean water temperature in the pond (av_temp), daily standard deviation of mean water temperature in the pond (sd_temp, measurement of temperature every 3 hours), daily amount of rain in mm and mean air temperature in 2m above ground

Medical Informatics and Data Analysis

During recent years, the use of advanced data analysis methods has increased in clinical and epidemiological research. This book emphasizes the practical aspects of new data analysis methods, and provides insight into new challenges in biostatistics, epidemiology, health sciences, dentistry, and clinical medicine. This book provides a readable text, giving advice on the reporting of new data analytical methods and data presentation. The book consists of 13 articles. Each article is self-contained and may be read independently according to the needs of the reader. The book is essential reading for postgraduate students as well as researchers from medicine and other sciences where statistical data analysis plays a central role