Preliminary Findings of Vocal Fold Vibratory Characteristics of Singers Analyzed by Laryngeal High-Speed Videoendoscopy

Abstract

Objectives: This study investigates the vocal fold vibratory dynamics of singers, which are postulated to differ from those of normal speakers due to the singers' regular vocal training. The measurement of vocal fold vibration involved the utilization of laryngeal high-speed videoendoscopy (LHSV) and subsequent LHSV-based analysis. The focus of the present study is to characterize and compare the LHSV-based measures derived from the glottal area waveform (GAW), namely fundamental frequency (F0_GAW), glottal perturbation (jitter_GAW and shimmer_GAW), open quotient (OQ_GAW), and Nyquist plots, between singers and normal speakers across genders.

Methods: Participants comprised 13 singers from a local cultural and heritage academy and 56 normal speakers from a local university, all were evaluated to have normal voices. Each participant underwent LHSV procedures to capture images of vocal fold vibration, which were subsequently analyzed to generate the LHSV-based measures.

Results: Male singers exhibited lower F0_GAW, jitter_GAW, shimmer_GAW, and OQ_GAW than female singers. When compared to normal speakers, male singers demonstrated higher F0_GAW, and lower jitter_GAW and shimmer_GAW. No difference in OQ_GAW was found between male singers and normal speakers. Female singers exhibited lower jitter_GAW compared to normal speakers, but no differences were observed in shimmer_GAW and OQ_GAW. The results of Nyquist plots indicated no gender-related associations between types of rim width and among singers. However, for rim pattern, male singers were associated with a higher percentage of clustered rim, suggesting more regular vocal fold vibration, compared to female singers and normal male speakers.

Conclusions: Singers, particularly male singers, demonstrate distinct and potentially superior vocal fold vibrations compared to normal speakers, likely attributed to their regular vocal training, resulting in refined vocal fold configurations even during speaking. Despite the limited sample of singers, the study offers valuable insights into the vocal fold vibratory behaviors in singers analyzed using LHSV.

Keywords: Laryngeal high-speed videoendoscopy; Singers; Vocal fold vibration; Voice measurements.