International Workshop on Models and Analysis of Vocal Emissions for Biomedical Applications (MAVEBA 1999) Florence, Italy September 1-3, 1999

Acoustic Assessment of Neurogenic Voice Disorders in a Clinical Setting

Michael Merk (1), Wolfram Ziegler (2), Bettina Brendel (2)

(1) Inst. for Communication Engineering, Fed. Armed Forces University, München, Germany (2) EKN Clinical Neuropsychology Research Group, München, Germany

A new tool for the computerized clinical assessment of neurogenic voice disorders is presented. It is part of a more comprehensive PC-based system for the diagnosis of speech impairments in patients with neurologic disorders, including modules for the assessment of speech rate, fluency, and articulation, in addition to the voice module. The design of this instrument is optimized with regard to stability and precision rather than computational speed. The voice analysis parameters used to date are fundamental frequency and its variation over time, intensity and its variation over time, spectral tilt, and the cepstrum. The system controls all diagnostic steps, from the presentation of stimulus materials to the evaluation of results. Although the procedure is highly automatized, it allows for interactive control of recording quality, handling of algorithm instabilities, and correction of implausible results.

Full Paper

Bibliographic reference.  Merk, Michael / Ziegler, Wolfram / Brendel, Bettina (1999): "Acoustic assessment of neurogenic voice disorders in a clinical setting", In MAVEBA-1999, 83-85.