National Center for Voice and Speech

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The National Center for Voice and Speech (NCVS), is a multi-site research and teaching organization dedicated to studying the characteristics, limitations and enhancement of human voice and speech. The NCVS is located in Salt Lake City, Utah with the Lead Institution located at the University of Utah. NCVS is also a Center at the University of Iowa where it has laboratories in the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology. In addition, the NCVS has collaborators in Denver and at many institutions around the United States. Its focus is vocology, or the science and practice of voice habilitation. [1] [2]

Contents

History

Initially conceived as a "center without walls," the NCVS was formally organized in 1990 with the assistance of a grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), an institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NCVS was organized on the premise that a consortium of institutions (including the Wilber James Gould Voice Center at the DCPA, University of Iowa, University of Utah, University of Wisconsin–Madison) would be better able to conduct and disseminate research than a single organization. NCVS members, although geographically separate, were linked by a common desire to fully understand the characteristics, limitations and enhancement of human voice and speech.

In 1999, NIDCD discontinued the Multi-Purpose Research and Training Center funding mechanism for the entire institute focusing instead on single-project research awards (R01s). In a July 2000 meeting, however, NCVS investigators voted unanimously to continue the concept of a national resource center for voice and speech, to be driven by a variety of single-project research awards (R01s), as well as health communication, core, and training grants. In 2001, the NCVS moved its central location to Denver, where the otolaryngologist Dr. Wilbur James Gould had founded a center to study the voice and speech patterns of stage performers.

The NCVS team of investigators, led by Ingo Titze, studies the powers, limitations and enhancement of human voice and speech. The investigators are scientists, clinicians, educators, engineers and musicians who use diverse backgrounds (i.e., speech-language pathology, physics, computer science, acoustics, vocal performance, biology, medicine and engineering) to work together on voice and speech investigations. As a direct outgrowth of their work, NCVS members also teach other investigators and practitioners who work with voice, as well as speech clients and the general public. One example is the Summer Vocology Institute, which trains voice coaches and vocal health professionals in the study of Vocology.

  1. Occupational Safety in Vocalization [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
  2. Biomechanical Modeling [8] [9] [10] [11]
  3. Simulation of Vocal Production for Research and Therapeutic Interventions
  4. Computer Simulation of Phonosurgical Procedures [12] [13] [14]
  5. Voice Treatment for Adults Suffering from Parkinson's Disease (including the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment, LSVT) [15] [16] [17] [18]
  6. Voice Treatment for Children with Down Syndrome (including LSVT) [19]
  7. Voice Forensics & Speaker Identification
  8. Laryngeal Tissue Engineering [20] [21] [22]
  9. Voice Academy (an online tool for teachers) [23]

See also

Related Research Articles

The term phonation has slightly different meanings depending on the subfield of phonetics. Among some phoneticians, phonation is the process by which the vocal folds produce certain sounds through quasi-periodic vibration. This is the definition used among those who study laryngeal anatomy and physiology and speech production in general. Phoneticians in other subfields, such as linguistic phonetics, call this process voicing, and use the term phonation to refer to any oscillatory state of any part of the larynx that modifies the airstream, of which voicing is just one example. Voiceless and supra-glottal phonations are included under this definition.

Vocal loading is the stress inflicted on the speech organs when speaking for long periods.

Vocal cords Folds of throat tissues that help to create sounds through vocalization

In humans, vocal cords, also known as vocal folds or voice reeds, are folds of throat tissues that are key in creating sounds through vocalization. The size of vocal cords affects the pitch of voice. Open when breathing and vibrating for speech or singing, the folds are controlled via the recurrent laryngeal branch of the vagus nerve. They are composed of twin infoldings of mucous membrane stretched horizontally, from back to front, across the larynx. They vibrate, modulating the flow of air being expelled from the lungs during phonation.

Human voice Sound made by a human being using the vocal tract

The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal tract, including talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, shouting, humming or yelling. The human voice frequency is specifically a part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary sound source.

Larynx Voice box, an organ in the neck of amphibians, reptiles, and mammals

The larynx, commonly called the voice box, is an organ in the top of the neck involved in breathing, producing sound and protecting the trachea against food aspiration. The opening of larynx into pharynx known as the laryngeal inlet is about 4–5 centimeters in diameter. The larynx houses the vocal cords, and manipulates pitch and volume, which is essential for phonation. It is situated just below where the tract of the pharynx splits into the trachea and the esophagus. The word ʻlarynxʼ comes from the Ancient Greek word lárunx ʻlarynx, gullet, throat.

Reinkes edema Medical condition

Reinke's edema is the swelling of the vocal cords due to fluid (edema) collected within the Reinke's space. First identified by the German anatomist Friedrich B. Reinke in 1895, the Reinke's space is a gelatinous layer of the vocal cord located underneath the outer cells of the vocal cord. When a person speaks, the Reinke's space vibrates to allow for sound to be produced (phonation). The Reinke's space is sometimes referred to as the superficial lamina propria.

Laryngeal cancer Medical condition

Laryngeal cancers are mostly squamous-cell carcinomas, reflecting their origin from the epithelium of the larynx.

Laryngitis Medical condition

Laryngitis is inflammation of the larynx. Symptoms often include a hoarse voice and may include fever, cough, pain in the front of the neck, and trouble swallowing. Typically, these last under two weeks.

Dysarthria is a speech sound disorder resulting from neurological injury of the motor component of the motor–speech system and is characterized by poor articulation of phonemes. In other words, it is a condition in which problems effectively occur with the muscles that help produce speech, often making it very difficult to pronounce words. It is unrelated to problems with understanding language, although a person can have both. Any of the speech subsystems can be affected, leading to impairments in intelligibility, audibility, naturalness, and efficiency of vocal communication. Dysarthria that has progressed to a total loss of speech is referred to as anarthria. The term dysarthria is from New Latin, dys- "dysfunctional, impaired" and arthr- "joint, vocal articulation".

Laryngeal papillomatosis Medical condition

Laryngeal papillomatosis, also known as recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) or glottal papillomatosis, is a rare medical condition in which benign tumors (papilloma) form along the aerodigestive tract. There are two variants based on the age of onset: juvenile and adult laryngeal papillomatosis. The tumors are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection of the throat. The tumors may lead to narrowing of the airway, which may cause vocal changes or airway obstruction. Laryngeal papillomatosis is initially diagnosed through indirect laryngoscopy upon observation of growths on the larynx and can be confirmed through a biopsy. Treatment for laryngeal papillomatosis aims to remove the papillomas and limit their recurrence. Due to the recurrent nature of the virus, repeated treatments usually are needed. Laryngeal papillomatosis is primarily treated surgically, though supplemental nonsurgical and/or medical treatments may be considered in some cases. The evolution of laryngeal papillomatosis is highly variable. Though total recovery may be observed, it is often persistent despite treatment. The number of new cases of laryngeal papillomatosis cases is approximately 4.3 cases per 100,000 children and 1.8 cases per 100,000 adults annually.

Hoarse voice Voice disorder

A hoarse voice, also known as dysphonia or hoarseness, is when the voice involuntarily sounds breathy, raspy, or strained, or is softer in volume or lower in pitch. A hoarse voice, can be associated with a feeling of unease or scratchiness in the throat. Hoarseness is often a symptom of problems in the vocal folds of the larynx. It may be caused by laryngitis, which in turn may be caused by an upper respiratory infection, a cold, or allergies. Cheering at sporting events, speaking loudly in noisy situations, talking for too long without resting one's voice, singing loudly, or speaking with a voice that's too high or too low can also cause temporary hoarseness. A number of other causes for losing one's voice exist, and treatment is generally by resting the voice and treating the underlying cause. If the cause is misuse or overuse of the voice, drinking plenty of water may alleviate the problems.

Ortners syndrome Medical condition

Ortner's syndrome is a rare cardiovocal syndrome and refers to recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy from cardiovascular disease. It was first described by Norbert Ortner (1865–1935), an Austrian physician, in 1897.

In the management of Parkinson's disease, due to the chronic nature of Parkinson's disease (PD), a broad-based program is needed that includes patient and family education, support-group services, general wellness maintenance, exercise, and nutrition. At present, no cure for the disease is known, but medications or surgery can provide relief from the symptoms.

Vocal cord paresis, also known as recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis or vocal fold paralysis, is an injury to one or both recurrent laryngeal nerves (RLNs), which control all intrinsic muscles of the larynx except for the cricothyroid muscle. The RLN is important for speaking, breathing and swallowing.

Spasmodic dysphonia, also known as laryngeal dystonia, is a disorder in which the muscles that generate a person's voice go into periods of spasm. This results in breaks or interruptions in the voice, often every few sentences, which can make a person difficult to understand. The person's voice may also sound strained or they may be nearly unable to speak. Onset is often gradual and the condition is lifelong.

Vocology is the science and practice of vocal habilitation, or vocal training and therapy. Its concerns include the nature of speech and language pathology, the defects of the vocal tract (laryngology), the remediation of speech therapy, and the voice training and voice pedagogy of song and speech for actors and public speakers.

Laryngopharyngeal reflux Medical condition

Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is the retrograde flow of gastric contents into the larynx, oropharynx and/or the nasopharynx. LPR causes respiratory symptoms such as cough and wheezing and is often associated with head and neck complaints such as dysphonia, globus pharyngis, and dysphagia. LPR may play a role in other diseases, such as sinusitis, otitis media, and rhinitis, and can be a comorbidity of asthma. While LPR is commonly used interchangeably with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), it presents with a different pathophysiology.

Lombard effect

The Lombard effect or Lombard reflex is the involuntary tendency of speakers to increase their vocal effort when speaking in loud noise to enhance the audibility of their voice. This change includes not only loudness but also other acoustic features such as pitch, rate, and duration of syllables. This compensation effect maintains the auditory signal-to-noise ratio of the speaker's spoken words.

Ingo R. Titze is a voice scientist and executive director of the National Center for Voice and Speech and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. He also teaches at the Summer Vocology Institute, also housed at the University of Utah. He is a Distinguished Professor at the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Iowa and has written several books relating to the human voice.

References

  1. ↑ van Mersbergen M et al. (2001). "Preparation of the speech-language pathologist specializing in voice: an educational survey.", J Voice. 15(2):237-50.
  2. ↑ Titze, I.R. (1994). Principles of Voice Production, Prentice Hall. ISBN   978-0-13-717893-3.
  3. ↑ Titze IR et al. Populations in the U.S. workforce who rely on voice as a primary tool of trade: a preliminary report. J Voice. 1997 Sep;11(3):254-9. doi : 10.1016/S0892-1997(97)80002-1 PMID   9297668
  4. ↑ Popolo PS et al. Adaptation of a Pocket PC for use as a wearable voice dosimeter. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2005 Aug;48(4):780-91. doi : 10.1044/1092-4388(2005/054) PMID   16378473
  5. ↑ Titze IR et al. Voicing and silence periods in daily and weekly vocalizations of teachers. J Acoust Soc Am. 2007 Jan;121(1):469-78. doi : 10.1121/1.2390676 PMID   17297801
  6. ↑ Nix J et al. # Protocol challenges for on-the-job voice dosimetry of teachers in the United States and Finland. J Voice. 2007 Jul;21(4):385-96. doi : 10.1016/j.jvoice.2006.03.005 PMID   16678386
  7. ↑ Carroll T et al. Objective measurement of vocal fatigue in classical singers: a vocal dosimetry pilot study. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2006 Oct;135(4):595-602. doi : 10.1016/j.otohns.2006.06.1268 PMID   17011424.
  8. ↑ Hunter EJ and Titze IR. Refinements in modeling the passive properties of laryngeal soft tissue. J Appl Physiol. 2007 Jul;103(1):206-19. PMID   17412782.
  9. ↑ Titze IR and Hunter EJ. A two-dimensional biomechanical model of vocal fold posturing. J Acoust Soc Am. 2007 Apr;121(4):2254-60. PMID   17471739.
  10. ↑ Hunter EJ and Titze IR. Individual subject laryngeal dimensions of multiple mammalian species for biomechanical models. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2005 Oct;114(10):809-18. PMID   16285273.
  11. ↑ Hunter EJ et al. A three-dimensional model of vocal fold abduction/adduction. J Acoust Soc Am. 2004 Apr;115(4):1747-59. PMID   15101653.
  12. ↑ E. J. Hunter and I. R. Titze. Review of range of arytenoid cartilage motion.
    1. Acoustic Research Letters Online 6 (3):112-117, 2005. PMID   16570110.
  13. ↑ E. J. Hunter and I. R. Titze. Individual subject laryngeal dimensions of multiple mammalian species for biomechanical models. Ann.Otol.Rhinol.Laryngol. 114 (10):809-818, 2005. PMID   16285273.
  14. ↑ Hunter EJ, Alipour F, Titze IR. Sensitivity of elastic properties to measurement uncertainties in laryngeal muscles with implications for voice fundamental frequency prediction. J Voice. 2007 Nov;21(6):641-50. PMID   16904867.
  15. ↑ Spielman J et al. Effects of an extended version of the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment on voice and speech in Parkinson's disease. Am J Speech Lang Pathol. 2007 May;16(2):95-107. PMID   17456888.
  16. ↑ Sapir S et al. Effects of intensive voice treatment (the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment [LSVT]) on vowel articulation in dysarthric individuals with idiopathic Parkinson disease: acoustic and perceptual findings. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2007 Aug;50(4):899-912. PMID   17675595.
  17. ↑ Spielman JL et al. The effects of intensive voice treatment on facial expressiveness in Parkinson disease: preliminary data. Cogn Behav Neurol. 2003 Sep;16(3):177-88. PMID   14501539.
  18. ↑ Ramig LO et al. Intensive voice treatment (LSVT) for patients with Parkinson's disease: a 2 year follow up. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2001 Oct;71(4):493-8. PMID   11561033.
  19. ↑ "Learning Loud speech therapy program". www.colemaninstitute.org. Archived from the original on 2006-02-12.
  20. ↑ Titze IR et al. Strain distribution in an elastic substrate vibrated in a bioreactor for vocal fold tissue engineering. J Biomech. 2005 Dec;38(12):2406-14. PMID   16214488.
  21. ↑ Titze IR et al. Design and validation of a bioreactor for engineering vocal fold tissues under combined tensile and vibrational stresses. J Biomech. 2004 Oct;37(10):1521-9. PMID   15336927.
  22. ↑ Titze IR and Hunter EJ. Normal vibration frequencies of the vocal ligament. J Acoust Soc Am. 2004 May;115(5 Pt 1):2264-9. PMID   15139637.
  23. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-01-18. Retrieved 2007-11-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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