Електронна терапия и корекция на заекването

Доклад, поместен в сборника на Националната конференция "Образованието в информационното общество", Пловдив, май, 2010 г.Широкото разпространение на информационните технологии създава условия за приложение на нови методи и форми на виртуално консултиране и терапия при коригиране на комуникативни нарушения. В работата се представя Web-базирана система за консултиране и терапия на заекването, вкл. автоматизирано оценяване на плавността и техниката на речта.Асоциация "Развитие на информационното общество", Институт по математика и информатика при БАН, Пловдивски университе

StammerApp:Designing a Mobile Application to Support Self-Reflection and Goal Setting for People Who Stammer

Stammering is a speech disorder affecting approximately 1% of the worldwide population. It can have associated impacts on daily life, such as loss of confidence in social situations and increased anxiety levels (particularly when speaking to strangers). Work exploring the development of digital tools to support people who stammer (PwS) is emerging. However, there is a paucity of research engaging PwS in the design process, with participation being facilitated mainly in testing phases. In this paper, we describe the user-centered design, development and evaluation of StammerApp, a mobile application to support PwS. We contribute insights into the challenges and barriers that PwS experience day-to-day and reflect on the complexities of designing with this diverse group. Finally, we present a set of design recommendations for the development of tools to support PwS in their everyday interactions, and provide an example of how these might be envisioned through the StammerApp prototype

Development of Markerless Systems for Automatic Analysis of Movements and Facial Expressions: Applications in Neurophysiology

This project is focused on the development of markerless methods for studying facial expressions and movements in neurology, focusing on Parkinson’s disease (PD) and disorders of consciousness (DOC). PD is a neurodegenerative illness that affects around 2% of the population over 65 years old. Impairments of voice/speech are among the main signs of PD. This set of impairments is called hypokinetic dysarthria, because of the reduced range of movements involved in speech. This reduction can be visible also in other facial muscles, leading to a hypomimia. Despite the high percentage of patients that suffer from dysarthria and hypomimia, only a few of them undergo speech therapy with the aim to improve the dynamic of articulatory/facial movements. The main reason is the lack of low cost methodologies that could be implemented at home. DOC after coma are Vegetative State (VS), characterized by the absence of self-awareness and awareness of the environment, and Minimally Conscious State (MCS), in which certain behaviors are sufficiently reproducible to be distinguished from reflex responses. The differential diagnosis between VS and MCS can be hard and prone to a high rate of misdiagnosis (~40%). This differential diagnosis is mainly based on neuro-behavioral scales. A key role to plan the rehabilitation in DOC patients is played by the first diagnosis after coma. In fact, MCS patients are more prone to a consciousness recovery than VS patients. Concerning PD the aim is the development of contactless systems that could be used to study symptoms related to speech and facial movements/expressions. The methods proposed here, based on acoustical analysis and video processing techniques could support patients during speech therapy also at home. Concerning DOC patients the project is focused on the assessment of reflex and cognitive responses to standardized stimuli. This would allow objectifying the perceptual analysis performed by clinicians

Pan European Voice Conference - PEVOC 11

The Pan European VOice Conference (PEVOC) was born in 1995 and therefore in 2015 it celebrates the 20th anniversary of its establishment: an important milestone that clearly expresses the strength and interest of the scientific community for the topics of this conference. The most significant themes of PEVOC are singing pedagogy and art, but also occupational voice disorders, neurology, rehabilitation, image and video analysis. PEVOC takes place in different European cities every two years (www.pevoc.org). The PEVOC 11 conference includes a symposium of the Collegium Medicorum Theatri (www.comet collegium.com

Advances in Management of Voice and Swallowing Disorders

Special Issue “Advances in Management of Voice and Swallowing Disorders” is dedicated to innovations in screening and assessment and the effectiveness of interventions in both dysphonia and dysphagia. In contemporary practice, novel techniques have been introduced in diagnostics and rehabilitative interventions (e.g., machine learning, electrical stimulation). Similarly, advancements in methodological approaches to validate measures have been introduced (e.g., item response theory using Rasch analysis), prompting the need to develop new, robust measures for use in clinics and intervention studies. Against this backdrop, this Special Issue focuses on studies aiming to improve early diagnostics of laryngological disorders and its management. This issue also welcomes the submission of studies on diagnostic accuracy and psychometrics performance of existing and newly developed measures. This includes but is not limited to studies investigating screening tools with sound diagnostic accuracy and robust psychometric properties. Furthermore, interventions with high levels of evidence in relation to clinical outcome using robust methodology (e.g., sophisticated meta-analytic approaches) are of great interest. This issue provides an overview of the latest advances in voice and swallowing disorders

Práticas vocais performativas de cantadeiras do Alto Minho

Doutoramento em MúsicaPortugal has strong musical traditions, which have been perpetrated by decades through folkloristic activities. In folk groups from Alto Minho (north of Portugal), folk singing is mostly performed by cantadeiras, amateur female solo singers who learn this style orally. Their vocal characteristics are distinctive when compared with other regions of the country; however, deep understanding of these vocal practices is still missing. The present work aims at studying Alto Minho cantadeira’s vocal performance in a multidimensional perspective, envisioning social, cultural and physiological understanding of this musical style. Thus, qualitative and quantitative data analyses were carried out, to: (i) describe current performance practices, (ii) explore existent perceptions about most relevant voice features in this region, (iii) investigate physiological and acoustic properties of this style, and (iv) compare this style of singing with other non-classical singing styles of other countries. Dataset gathered involved: 78 groups whose members were telephone interviewed, 13 directors who were asked to fill in a questionnaire on performance practices, 1 cantadeira in a pilot study, 16 cantadeiras in preliminary voice recordings, 77 folk group members in listening tests, and 10 cantadeiras in multichannel recordings, including audio, ELG, air flow and intra-oral pressure signals. Data were analysed through thematic content analysis, descriptive and inferential statistics, hierarchical principal components, and multivariate linear regression models. Most representative voices have a high pitched and loud voice, with a bright timbre, predominance of chest register without excessive effort, and good text intelligibility with regional accent. High representativeness levels were obtained by few cantadeiras; these sing with high levels of subglottal pressure and vocal fold contact quotient, predominance of high spectrum energy and vocal loudness, corroborating indications of prevalence of pressed phonation. These vocal characteristics resemble belting in musical theatre and share similarities with country (USA) and ojikanje (Croatia) singing. Strategies that may contribute to the preservation of this type of singing and the vocal health of current cantadeiras are discussed, pointing at the direction of continuous education among folk groups, following practices that are already adopted elsewhere in Europe.Portugal é um país com fortes tradições musicais perpetuadas ao longo de décadas através das práticas folclóricas. Nos grupos folclóricos da região do Alto Minho, o canto é maioritariamente praticado por cantadeiras, cantoras amadoras cuja aprendizagem é feita maioritariamente por tradição oral. As suas características vocais diferenciam-se das de outras regiões do país, embora se desconheçam ainda as razões fisiológicas e acústicas responsáveis por tal distinção. O presente trabalho propõe investigar a performance vocal das cantadeiras do Alto Minho numa perspetiva multidimensional, considerando aspetos sociais, culturais, fisiológicos e acústicos associados à prática deste estilo musical. Assim, os dados recolhidos, qualitativos e quantitativos, procuraram: (i) descrever práticas performativas atuais, (ii) explorar as perceções existentes sobre os traços mais relevantes da voz nesta região, (iii) investigar propriedades fisiológicas e acústicas da voz neste estilo, e (iv) comparar o canto folclórico do Alto Minho com outros estilos de canto tradicional. Foram envolvidos: 78 grupos, em questionários telefónicos, 13 diretores em questionários de caracterização performativa, 1 cantadeira num estudo piloto, 16 cantadeiras em gravações áudio preliminares, 77 membros de grupos folclóricos em testes perceptuais auditivos e 10 cantadeiras em gravações multicanal, incluindo sinais áudio, ELG, fluxo de ar e pressão intra-oral. A análise de dados incluiu análise temática de conteúdo, estatística descritiva e inferencial, análise hierárquica de componentes principais e modelos de regressão linear multivariada. As características vocais mais representativas incluem: voz aguda e forte, com timbre estridente, prevalência de registo de peito com nível não-excessivo de esforço, boa inteligibilidade do texto e sotaque da região. Poucas foram as cantadeiras identificadas como detentoras destas características. As que foram apontadas como possuidoras de vozes mais representativas apresentam valores de pressão subglótica e contacto das pregas vocais elevados, predominância de parciais harmónicos superiores e grande intensidade vocal, características que corroboram as associadas a uma fonação “pressionada”. Este padrão vocal, indicativo de esforço fonatório, aproxima-se do descrito em belting, utilizado em teatro musical. Quando comparado com outros géneros tradicionais, as cantadeiras do Alto Minho apresentam alguns traços semelhantes aos dos cantores de country (EUA) e ojikanje (Croácia). Estratégias que poderão contribuir para a preservação deste estilo vocal e para a saúde vocal das cantadeiras apontam para a formação contínua de grupos existentes, à semelhança do que acontece com outros estilos folclóricos europeus