• 음성과학
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• 제10권3호
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• pp.7-27
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• 2003

Esophageal Speech uses the esophageal air during phonation. Fluent esophageal speakers frequently intake air in oral communication, but unskilled esophageal speakers are difficult with swallowing lots of air. The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference of acoustic characteristics of vowel and consonants production according to the speech proficiency level in esophageal speech. 13 normal male speakers and 13 male esophageal speakers (5 unskilled esophageal speakers, 8 skilled esophageal speakers) with age ranging from 50 to 70 years old. The stimuli were sustained /a/ vowel and 36 meaningless two syllable words. Used vowel is /a/ and consonants were 18 : /k, n, t, m, p, s, c, $C^{h},\;k^{h},\;t^{h},\;p^{h}$, h, I, k', t', p', s', c'/. Fundermental frequency (Fx), Jitter, shimmer, HNR, MPT were measured with by electroglottography using Lx speech studio (Laryngograph Ltd, London, UK). 36 meaningless words produced by esophageal speakers were presented to 3 speech-language pathologists who phonetically transcribed their responses. Fx, Jitter, HNR parameters is significant different between skilled esophageal speakers and unskilled esophageal speakers (P<.05). Considering manner of articulation, ANOVA showed that differences in two esophageal speech groups on speech proficiency were significant; Glide had the highest number of confusion with the other phoneme class, affricates are the most intelligible in the unskilled esophageal speech group, whereas in the skilled esophageal speech group fricatives resulted highest number of confusions, nasals are the most intelligible. In the place of articulation, glottal /h/ is the highest confusion consonant in both groups. Bilabials are the most intelligible in the skilled esophageal speech, velars are the most intelligible in the unskilled esophageal speech. In the structure of syllable, 'CV+V' is more confusion in the skilled esophageal group, unskilled esophageal speech group has similar confusion in both structures. In unskilled esophageal speech, significantly different Fx, Jitter, HNR acoustic parameters of vowel and the highest confusions of Liquid, Nasals consonants could be attributed to unstable, improper contact of neoglottis as vibratory source and insufficiency in the phonatory air supply, and higher motoric demand of remaining articulation due to morphological characteristics of vocal tract after laryngectomy.

• 말소리와 음성과학
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• 제4권3호
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• pp.143-149
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to investigate the speech rate of an esophageal speech group that is capable of vocalization after surgery. The subjects in this experiment were 10 male esophageal speakers and 10 male laryngeal speakers. Each group read a reading passage that was recorded by a DAT recorder (Rolando, EDIROL R-09). These records were analyzed by using CSL (Computerized Speech Lab, model 4150). The results were as follows: (1) the overall speech rate of esophageal speech was 2.50 SPS (syllable per second) while the overall speech rate of laryngeal speech was 4.23 SPS. (2) The articulatory rate of esophageal speech was 3.14 SPS (syllable per second) while the articulatory rate of laryngeal speech was 4.75 SPS. Speech rates as well as articulatory rates of esophageal speech were significantly lower than laryngeal speech. These differences between the two groups may be due to reduced efficiency of airflows across the pharyngeal-esophageal segment for esophageal speakers when compared to airflow through the glottis for laryngeal speakers. These results would provide a guideline in speech rates for esophageal speakers in clinical settings.

• 대한후두음성언어의학회지
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.5-10
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• 1998

Voice rehabilitation is very important concerning in laryngectomees. Esophageal speech is a common and widely used method of voice restoration. But, until now there is no reliable data which shows the aerodynamic characteristics of esophageal speech. In order to evaluate the vocal quality of normal laryngeal and esophageal speech, several aerodynamic parameters were measured in 13 adults with normal laryngeal voice and 2 excellent esophageal speakers using Aerophone II voice function analyzer. The examined parameters were maximal flow rate, mean airflow rate, subglottic pressure, vocal efficiency, glottic resistance, maximal phonation time and mean sound pressure level. In vocal efficiency, there is no difference between two groups, but in other parameters, marked differences were showed in esophageal speakers, especially mean resistance. Results indicates that esophageal speakers make the efficient voices with poor aerodynamic condition, comparing with normal laryngeal speakers.

• 말소리와 음성과학
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• 제6권2호
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• pp.47-54
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to analyze spectral versus cepstral measurements in esophageal speakers. The comparison between the measurements in thirteen male esophageal speakers was compared with the control group of thirteen normal speakers using the sustained vowel /a/. The main results can be summarized as below: (a) the CPP and L/H ratio of the esophageal group were significantly lower than those of the control group (b) the CPP was significantly correlated with the spectral parameters such as jitter, shimmer, NHR and VTI, and (c) the ROC analysis showed that the threshold of 10.25dB for the CPP achieved a good classification for esophageal speakers, with 100% perfect sensitivity and specificity. Thus, it was known that cepstral-based acoustic measures such as CPP, may be more reliable predictors than other spectral-based acoustic measures such as jitter and shimmer. And it was found that cepstral-based acoustic measures were effective in distinguishing esophageal voice quality from normal voice quality. This research will contribute to establishing a baseline related to speech characteristics in voice rehabilitation with laryngectomees.

• 말소리와 음성과학
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• 제6권2호
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• pp.115-121
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• 2014

This paper investigates the relationship between acoustic characteristics and voice handicap index for 29 males with esophageal speakers. Acoustic characteristics were measured by using a sustained vowel /a/ three times. The stable vocalization for 2 seconds was analyzed by MDVP program. Specifically, relationships between four VHI scores (total, functional, physical, and emotional) and three acoustic characteristics (jitter, shimmer, and NHR) were investigated using the Pearson correlation coefficient. As results, we found no relationship between NHR and VHI scores. However, both jitter and shimmer had statistically significant correlations with all four VHI scores. This research will contribute to establishing a baseline related to speech characteristics in voice rehabilitation with esophageal speakers. Further research could be done to examine the overall quality of life survey, which is widely used as a subjective measure about voice for patients with esophageal speakers.

• 음성과학
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• 제7권1호
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• pp.53-64
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• 2000

Theoretically, alaryngeal speakers have difficulty in accomplishing the production of voiceless consonants. However, the perceptual studies often reveal a clear production of voiceless consonants giving good articulation scores in skilled alaryngeal speakers. The purpose of the present study was to clarify the production of voiceless stops in mode of articulation to normal speakers and skilled alaryngeal speakers. The acoustic characteristics of alaryngeal speech compared to the normal speech were investigated with special reference to the voiceless stop consonants. The surface electromyography from neck is used to monitor pharyngeal activity during speech. The general result is. that esophageal, shunt and neoglottal speakers realize the distinctions between the three types of [p] in a manner parallel to normals, whereas those using an electric voice generator do not.

• 한국음향학회지
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• 제26권5호
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• pp.182-187
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• 2007

본 연구는 후두적출술 후 성대를 상실한 후두적출자들이 식도를 통하여 끌어들인 공기로 발성하는 식도발성 발화의 명료도를 조사해 보고자 하였다. 정상 청력을 가진 3명의 청취자가, 식도발성을 사용하는 화자 10인이 산출한 자음+모음+모음(CVV), 모음+자음+모음(VCV)의 무의미 2음절어를 듣고 그 내용을 기록하였다. 그 결과, 식도발성의 전체적인 명료도는 27%로 나타났다. 조음방법적 측면에서는 파찰음이 가장 높은 명료도를 보였고 마찰음이 가장 낮은 명료도를 보였다. 조음위치적 측면에서의 명료도는 경구개음이 가장 높고, 치경음이 가장 낮은 것으로 나타났고, 전반적으로 경음의 명료도가 높고, 격음의 명료도가 매우 낮은 것으로 나타났다. 그리고, 음절내 3위치 측면에서는 CVV 음절보다 VCV 음절에 나타난 자음이 더 높은 명료도를 보였다. 식도발성 발화자가 보이는 명료도의 문제는 대개 충분한 공기량을 확보하지 못함으로써 나타나는 것으로 판단된다. 따라서, 정확한 조음동작의 훈련 뿐 아니라, 충분히 공기를 유입하는 훈련을 병행함으로써 명료도를 개선시키도록 노력하는 것이 바람직할 것이다.

• 말소리와 음성과학
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• 제5권4호
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• pp.25-32
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• 2013

This research is aimed at finding the acoustic characteristics of different voice rehabilitation techniques, the electrolaryx (EL), standard esophageal (SE), and tracheoesophageal (TE), used on 17 patients with laryngectomees. The analysis of the voice qualities was achieved using MDVP. In order to compare the acoustic characteristics, patients were asked to produce the vowel /a/ sound. The acoustic analysis included fundamental frequency (f0), jitter, shimmer, and noise-to-harmonic ratio (NHR). The main acoustic results showed no significant statistical differences between the average measurements of SE and TE speakers. It was found that the current study showed the same tendency found in previous studies. There was also a significant difference between SE and EL speakers. On the other hand, there were no significant statistical differences between the average measurements of TE and EL speakers on all acoustic measurements. This research will contribute to establishing a baseline related to speech characteristics in voice rehabilitation for patients with laryngectomees. In future, the present findings and issues should be considered in the context of gender. Specifically, the number of women who are diagnosed with laryngeal cancer continues to rise and their acoustic characteristics may indeed differ from those of men.

• 말소리와 음성과학
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• 제5권4호
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• pp.17-24
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• 2013

This study is aimed at finding out different types of speech characteristics categorized based on voice rehabilitation techniques used on twenty-six patients (all-male) with total or partial laryngectomees. The speech intelligibility of standard esophageal (SE), tracheoesophageal speech (TE), and electriclarynx (EL) was measured by using the CSL and eleven listeners were instructed to rate the speech on a 5-point scale. The vowel space parameters such as vowel space, VAI, FCR, and F2 ratio were measured by averaging 5 repeats of each vowel (/a/, /e/, /i/, /u/) and the results were put into the parameter formula. The results showed significant statistical differences in speech intelligibility and vowel space between SE and TE. The speech intelligibility and vowel space of TE were higher than those of SE or EL and there was a high correlation between speech intelligibility and some parameters (vowel space, VAI, F2 ratio). The results also showed that TE's speech characteristics were most similar to normal groups comparing with SE and EL, but still very deviant in laryngeal speech. This was due to insufficient airflow intake into the esophagus when producing sounds, and because articulation movement was carried out differently among groups. Therefore, these findings will contribute to establishing a baseline related to speech characteristics in voice rehabilitation for patients with alaryngeal speech.

• 대한후두음성언어의학회지
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.142-146
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• 1998

Background : It has been established that the fundamental frequency(Fo) of the vowels varies systemically as a function of vowel height. Specifically, high vowels have a higher Fo than low vowels. Two major explanations or hypotheses dominate contemporary accounts of fired to explain the mechanisms underlying intrinsic variation in vowel Fo, source-tract coupling hypothesis and tongue-pull hypothesis. Objectives : Total laryngectomy surgery necessiates removal of all structures between the hyoid bone and the tracheal rings. Therefore, the assumption that no direct interconnection exists between the tongue and pharyngoesophageal segment that would mediate systematic variation in vowel Fo appears quite reasonable. If tongue-pull hypothesis is correct, systemic differences in Fo between high versus low vowels produced by esophageal speakers would not Or expected. We analyzed the Fo in the vowels of esophageal voice. Materials and method : The subjects were 11 cases of laryngectomee patients with fluent esophageal voice. The five essential vowels were recorded and analyzed with computer speech analysis system(Computerized Speech Lab). The Fo was measured using acoustic waveform, automatically and manually, and narrow band spectral analysis. Results : The results of this study reveal that intrinsic variation in vowel Fo is clearly evident in esophageal speech. By analysis using acoustic waveform automatically, the signals were too irregular to measure the Fo precisely. So the data from automatic analysis of acoustic waveform is not logical. But the Fo by measuring with manually calculated acoustic waveform or narrowband spectral analysis resulted in acceptable results. These results were interpreted to support neither the source-tract coupling nor the tongue-pull hypotheses and led us to offer an alternative explanation to account for intrinsic variation of Fo.