Auditory Training With Synthesized Voice Anchors: Effects on Rater Agreement.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of auditory training with synthesized voices on intra- and inter-rater agreement of the auditory-perceptual voice analysis of roughness and breathiness. METHODS: This was an experimental study consisting of four auditory training sessions. The sample consisted of twenty raters, students from a Speech-Language Pathology course, who had previous experience with auditory-perceptual assessment. The raters participated in the four training sessions with a seven-day break in between sessions. Each training consisted of three tasks: 1) Pre-training activity: Participants were asked to rate 20 natural voices, normal and dysphonic, from zero to three, according to the parameters of roughness and breathiness; 2) Training activity: Synthesized voice anchor stimuli were presented, and participants were asked to rate them from zero to three. Four stimuli were related to roughness and four to breathiness. Participants heard 20 voice stimuli and were instructed to pair the natural voice with the synthesized anchor stimulus that most resembled it; and 3) Post-training activity: the 20 voices from the pre-training activity were randomized and participants rated the same voices, without prior knowledge that these were repeated. Statistical analysis of data was performed using the AC2 test, to assess the extent of agreement between raters, and the Friedman test to compare the training sessions. A 5% significance level was considered. RESULTS: For the auditory-perceptual voice analysis of roughness, intra-rater agreement results ranged from 79% to 86% between the first and fourth auditory training session, with improvement in intra-rater agreement from the fourth session forward (P = 0.005). For the analysis of breathiness, results ranged from 88% to 92% between the first and fourth auditory training sessions, with improvement from the fourth session forward (P = 0.036). Inter-rater agreement results for the auditory-perceptual analysis of roughness ranged from 23% to 34%, and from 48% to 61% for breathiness, with no differences regarding training (P = 0.855). CONCLUSION: The auditory-perceptual breathiness parameter had a higher AC2 indicator compared to the roughness parameter, suggesting better agreement. The intra-rater agreement showed improvement starting from the fourth auditory training session for the assessment of roughness and breathiness. The auditory training program did not show a positive inter-rater agreement impact.

Effect of synthesized voice anchors on auditory-perceptual voice evaluation. / Efeito de emissões âncoras de vozes sintetizadas na avaliação perceptivo-auditiva da voz.

PURPOSE: To analyze if the use of synthesized voice anchor emissions in auditory-perceptual evaluation improves intra- and inter-rater agreement. METHODS: This is a quantitative study. Thirty-two inexperienced evaluators were selected and performed two activities on a Programming Interface created by the authors: Active Calibrator Activity - auditory-perceptual evaluation of the roughness and breathiness parameters as 0-no deviation, 1-slight deviation, 2-moderate deviation, or 3-intense deviation of 25 voices with the support of anchored emissions of synthesized voices; and Inactive Calibrator Activity - auditory-perceptual evaluation of these same voices without the support of anchored vocal emissions. The voices were randomized for each activity, and the order of the activities was drawn randomly for each evaluator. The second activity was performed 15 days after the first. The Kappa coefficient was used to analyze intra- and inter-rater agreement, and the confidence interval (CI) was employed to compare concordances. RESULTS: Inter-rater agreement was higher for the intense degree of the breathiness parameter in the Active Calibrator Activity when compared to the Inactive Calibrator Activity, as well as the intra-rater agreement of the roughness parameter.333. CONCLUSION: Use of anchor emissions of synthesized voices directly in the evaluation improves intra- and inter-rater agreement in auditory-perceptual voice analysis.

OBJETIVO: Analisar se a utilização de emissões âncoras de vozes sintetizadas na avaliação perceptivo-auditiva melhora a concordância intra e interavaliador. MÉTODO: Trata-se de um estudo de natureza quantitativa. Foram selecionados 32 avaliadores inexperientes que realizaram, em um aplicativo criado pelos autores, duas atividades: Atividade Calibrador Ativo ­ avaliação perceptivo-auditiva dos parâmetros rugosidade e soprosidade como 0-ausência de desvio, 1-desvio leve, 2-desvio moderado ou 3-desvio intenso de 25 vozes com o apoio de emissões âncoras de vozes sintetizadas; e Atividade Calibrador Inativo ­ avaliação perceptivo-auditiva dessas mesmas vozes sem o apoio de emissões vocais âncoras. As vozes foram aleatorizadas em cada atividade, e a ordem de realização das atividades foi sorteada para cada avaliador, sendo que a segunda atividade foi realizada 15 dias após a primeira. Para análise da concordância intra e interavaliadores foi utilizado o coeficiente Kappa, e para comparação entre as concordâncias foi utilizado o intervalo de confiança (IC). RESULTADOS: A concordância interavaliadores foi maior para o grau intenso do parâmetro soprosidade na Atividade Calibrador Ativo quando comparada à Atividade Calibrador Inativo, assim como a concordância intra-avaliadores do parâmetro rugosidade. CONCLUSÃO: O uso de emissões âncoras de vozes sintetizadas diretamente na avaliação melhora a concordância intra e interavaliadores na análise perceptivo-auditiva da voz.

Speech Analysis for Fatigue and Sleepiness Detection of a Pilot.

BACKGROUND: Mental fatigue and sleepiness are well recognized determinants of human-error related accidents and incidents in aviation. In Brazil, according to the Center for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (CENIPA), the rate of accidents in the aerial modal is 1 per 2 d. Human factors are present in 90% of these accidents.CASE REPORT: This paper describes a retrospective study of the communication between a pilot and an air traffic control tower just before a fatal accident. The objective was the detection of fatigue and sleepiness of a pilot, who complained of these signs and symptoms before the flight, by means of voice and speech analysis. The in-depth accident analysis performed by CENIPA indicated that sleepiness and fatigue most likely contributed to the accident. Speech samples were analyzed for two conditions: 1) nonsleepy data recorded 35 h before the air crash (control condition), which were compared with 2) data from samples collected about 1 h before the accident and also during the disaster (sleepy condition). Audio recording analyses provided objective measures of the temporal organization of speech, such as hesitations, silent pauses, prolongation of final syllables, and syllable articulation rate.DISCUSSION: The results showed that speech during the day of the accident had significantly low elocution and articulation rates compared to the preceding day, also indicating that the methodology adopted in this study is feasible for detection of fatigue and sleepiness through speech analysis.de Vasconcelos CA, Vieira MN, Kecklund G, Yehia HC. Speech analysis for fatigue and sleepiness detection of a pilot. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2019; 90(4):415-418.

Effect of Auditory-Perceptual Training With Natural Voice Anchors on Vocal Quality Evaluation.

PURPOSE: To analyze the effects of auditory-perceptual training with anchor stimuli of natural voices on inter-rater agreement during the assessment of vocal quality. STUDY DESIGN: This is a quantitative nature study. METHODS: An auditory-perceptual training site was developed consisting of Programming Interface A, an auditory training activity, and Programming Interface B, a control activity. Each interface had three stages: pre-training/pre-interval evaluation, training/interval, and post-training/post-interval evaluation. Two experienced evaluators classified 381 voices according to the GRBASI scale (G-grade, R-roughness, B-breathiness, A-asthenia, S-strain, I-instability). Voices were selected that received the same evaluation by both evaluators: 57 voices for evaluation and 56 for training were selected, with varying degrees of deviation across parameters. Fifteen inexperienced evaluators were then selected. In the pre-, post-training, pre-, and postinterval stages, evaluators listened to the voices and classified them via the GRBASI scale. In the stage interval evaluators read a text. In the stage training each parameter was trained separately. Evaluators analyzed the degrees of deviation of the GRBASI parameters based on anchor stimuli, and could only advance after correctly classifying the voices. To quantify inter-rater agreement and provide statistical analyses, the AC1 coefficient, confidence intervals, and percentage variation of agreement were employed. RESULTS: Except for the asthenia parameter, decreased agreement was observed in the control condition. Improved agreement was observed with auditory training, but this improvement did not achieve statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Training with natural voice anchors suggest an increased inter-rater agreement during perceptual voice analysis, potentially indicating that new internal references were established.

Visual and tactile information in double bass intonation control.

Traditionally, the teaching of intonation on the non-tempered orchestral strings (violin, viola, cello, and double bass) has resorted to the auditory and proprioceptive senses only. This study aims at understanding the role of visual and tactile information in the control of the non-tempered intonation of the acoustic double bass. Eight musicians played 11 trials of an atonal sequence of musical notes on two double basses of different sizes under different sensorial constraints. The accuracy of the played notes was analyzed by measuring their frequencies and comparing them with respective target values. The main finding was that the performance which integrated visual and tactile information was superior in relation to the other performances in the control of double bass intonation. This contradicts the traditional belief that proprioception and hearing are the most effective feedback information in the performance of stringed instruments.