Exploring the acoustic and prosodic features of a lung-function-sensitive repeated-word speech articulation test
IntroductionSpeech breathing is a term usually used to refer to the manner in which expired air and lung mechanics are utilized for the production of the airflow necessary for phonation. Neurologically, speech breathing overrides the normal rhythms of alveolar ventilation. Speech breathing is genera...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1167902/full |
| _version_ | 1797730917326782464 |
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| author | Biao Zeng Edgar Mark Williams Chelsea Owen Cong Zhang Shakiela Khanam Davies Keira Evans Savannah-Rose Preudhomme |
| author_facet | Biao Zeng Edgar Mark Williams Chelsea Owen Cong Zhang Shakiela Khanam Davies Keira Evans Savannah-Rose Preudhomme |
| author_sort | Biao Zeng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionSpeech breathing is a term usually used to refer to the manner in which expired air and lung mechanics are utilized for the production of the airflow necessary for phonation. Neurologically, speech breathing overrides the normal rhythms of alveolar ventilation. Speech breathing is generated using the diaphragm, glottis, and tongue. The glottis is the opening between the vocal folds in the larynx; it is the primary valve between the lungs and the mouth, and by varying its degree of opening, the sound can be varied. The use of voice as an indicator of health has been widely reported. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the most common long-term respiratory disease. The main symptoms of COPD are increasing breathlessness, a persistent chesty cough with phlegm, frequent chest infections, and persistent wheezing. There is no cure for COPD, and it is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The principal cause of COPD is tobacco smoking, and estimates indicate that COPD will become the third leading cause of death worldwide by 2030. The long-term aim of this research program is to understand how speech generation, breathing, and lung function are linked in people with chronic respiratory diseases such as COPD.MethodsThis pilot study was designed to test an articulatory speech task that uses a single word (“helicopter”), repeated multiple times, to challenge speech-generated breathing and breathlessness. Specifically, a single-word articulation task was used to challenge respiratory system endurance in people with healthy lungs by asking participants to rapidly repeat the word “helicopter” for three 20-s runs interspersed with two 20-s rest periods of silent relaxed breathing. Acoustic and prosodic features were then extracted from the audio recordings of each adult participant.Results and discussionThe pause ratio increased from the first run to the third, representing an increasing demand for breath. These data show that the repeated articulation task challenges speech articulation in a quantifiable manner, which may prove useful in defining respiratory ill-health. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T11:52:02Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T11:52:02Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-ea193c39ba9b43e5a4cf86e17f7c92e72023-08-31T07:45:47ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782023-08-011410.3389/fpsyg.2023.11679021167902Exploring the acoustic and prosodic features of a lung-function-sensitive repeated-word speech articulation testBiao Zeng0Edgar Mark Williams1Chelsea Owen2Cong Zhang3Shakiela Khanam Davies4Keira Evans5Savannah-Rose Preudhomme6Department of Psychology, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, United KingdomSchool of Care Sciences, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, United KingdomDepartment of Psychology, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, United KingdomSchool of Education, Communication and Language Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomDepartment of Psychology, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, United KingdomDepartment of Psychology, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, United KingdomSchool of Care Sciences, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, United KingdomIntroductionSpeech breathing is a term usually used to refer to the manner in which expired air and lung mechanics are utilized for the production of the airflow necessary for phonation. Neurologically, speech breathing overrides the normal rhythms of alveolar ventilation. Speech breathing is generated using the diaphragm, glottis, and tongue. The glottis is the opening between the vocal folds in the larynx; it is the primary valve between the lungs and the mouth, and by varying its degree of opening, the sound can be varied. The use of voice as an indicator of health has been widely reported. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the most common long-term respiratory disease. The main symptoms of COPD are increasing breathlessness, a persistent chesty cough with phlegm, frequent chest infections, and persistent wheezing. There is no cure for COPD, and it is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The principal cause of COPD is tobacco smoking, and estimates indicate that COPD will become the third leading cause of death worldwide by 2030. The long-term aim of this research program is to understand how speech generation, breathing, and lung function are linked in people with chronic respiratory diseases such as COPD.MethodsThis pilot study was designed to test an articulatory speech task that uses a single word (“helicopter”), repeated multiple times, to challenge speech-generated breathing and breathlessness. Specifically, a single-word articulation task was used to challenge respiratory system endurance in people with healthy lungs by asking participants to rapidly repeat the word “helicopter” for three 20-s runs interspersed with two 20-s rest periods of silent relaxed breathing. Acoustic and prosodic features were then extracted from the audio recordings of each adult participant.Results and discussionThe pause ratio increased from the first run to the third, representing an increasing demand for breath. These data show that the repeated articulation task challenges speech articulation in a quantifiable manner, which may prove useful in defining respiratory ill-health.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1167902/fullspeech breathingCOPDrespirationpausehelicopter task |
| spellingShingle | Biao Zeng Edgar Mark Williams Chelsea Owen Cong Zhang Shakiela Khanam Davies Keira Evans Savannah-Rose Preudhomme Exploring the acoustic and prosodic features of a lung-function-sensitive repeated-word speech articulation test Frontiers in Psychology speech breathing COPD respiration pause helicopter task |
| title | Exploring the acoustic and prosodic features of a lung-function-sensitive repeated-word speech articulation test |
| title_full | Exploring the acoustic and prosodic features of a lung-function-sensitive repeated-word speech articulation test |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the acoustic and prosodic features of a lung-function-sensitive repeated-word speech articulation test |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the acoustic and prosodic features of a lung-function-sensitive repeated-word speech articulation test |
| title_short | Exploring the acoustic and prosodic features of a lung-function-sensitive repeated-word speech articulation test |
| title_sort | exploring the acoustic and prosodic features of a lung function sensitive repeated word speech articulation test |
| topic | speech breathing COPD respiration pause helicopter task |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1167902/full |
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