Silent speech of vowels in persons of different cognitive styles / Habla silenciosa de las vocales en personas de diferente estilo cognitivo

Abstract Introduction: This research measures the differences in silent speech of the vowels / a / - / u / in Spanish, in students with different cognitive styles in the Field Dependence - Independence (FDI) dimension. Method: Fifty-one (51) adults participated in the study. Electroencephalographic (EEG) signals were taken from 14 electrodes placed on the scalp in the language region located in the left hemisphere. Previously, the embedded figures test (EFT) was applied in order to classify them into dependent, intermediate and field independent persons. To analyse the EEG data, the signals were decomposed into intrinsic mode functions (IMF) and a mixed repeated measures analysis was performed. Results: It was found that the Power Spectral Density (PSD) in the vowels is independent of the cognitive style and its magnitude depends on the position of the electrodes. Conclusions: The results suggest that there are no significant differences in PSDs in the silent speech of vowels /a/-/u/ in persons of different cognitive styles. Significant differences were found in the PSDs according to the position of the 14 electrodes used. In our configuration, the silent speech of vowels can be studied using electrodes placed in premotor, motor and Wernicke areas.

Resumen Introducción: La investigación mide las diferencias en el habla silenciosa de las vocales /a/-/u/ en español, en estudiantes de diferente estilo cognitivo en la dimensión Dependencia - Independencia de campo (DIC). Método: En el estudio participaron 51 adultos. Se tomaron señales electroencefalográficas (EEG), a partir de 14 electrodos dispuestos sobre el cuero cabelludo de la región del lenguaje ubicada en el hemisferio izquierdo. Previamente les fue aplicado el test de figuras enmascaradas EFT con el fin de clasificarlos en personas dependientes, intermedios e independientes de campo. Para analizar los datos del EEG se descompusieron las señales en funciones de modo intrínseco (IMF) y se realizó un análisis mixto de medidas repetidas. Resultados: Se halló que la densidad espectral de potencia (PSD) en las vocales es independiente del estilo cognitivo y su magnitud depende de la posición de los electrodos. Conclusión: Los resultados sugieren que no existen diferencias significativas en los PSD en el habla silenciosa de las vocales /a/-/u/ en las personas de diferente estilo cognitivo. Se hallaron diferencias significativas en los PSD de acuerdo con la posición de los 14 electrodos utilizados. En nuestra configuración, el habla silenciosa de las vocales puede ser estudiada mediante electrodos situados en las áreas premotora, motora y de Wernicke.

Recognition of EEG Signals from Imagined Vowels Using Deep Learning Methods.

The use of imagined speech with electroencephalographic (EEG) signals is a promising field of brain-computer interfaces (BCI) that seeks communication between areas of the cerebral cortex related to language and devices or machines. However, the complexity of this brain process makes the analysis and classification of this type of signals a relevant topic of research. The goals of this study were: to develop a new algorithm based on Deep Learning (DL), referred to as CNNeeg1-1, to recognize EEG signals in imagined vowel tasks; to create an imagined speech database with 50 subjects specialized in imagined vowels from the Spanish language (/a/,/e/,/i/,/o/,/u/); and to contrast the performance of the CNNeeg1-1 algorithm with the DL Shallow CNN and EEGNet benchmark algorithms using an open access database (BD1) and the newly developed database (BD2). In this study, a mixed variance analysis of variance was conducted to assess the intra-subject and inter-subject training of the proposed algorithms. The results show that for intra-subject training analysis, the best performance among the Shallow CNN, EEGNet, and CNNeeg1-1 methods in classifying imagined vowels (/a/,/e/,/i/,/o/,/u/) was exhibited by CNNeeg1-1, with an accuracy of 65.62% for BD1 database and 85.66% for BD2 database.

Vocal tract physiology and its MRI evaluation / Fisiología del tracto vocal y su evaluación por resonancia magnética

Introduction. The rapid technological evolution in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has recently offered a great opportunity for the analysis of voice production.Objectives. This article is aimed to describe main physiological principles at the base of voice production (in particular of vocal tract), and an overview about liter-ature on MRI of the vocal tract. This is presented in order to analyze both present results and future perspectives.Method. A narrative review was performed by searching the MeSH terms "vocal tract" and "MRI" in Pub Med database. Then, the obtained studies were subse-quently selected by relevancy.Results. Main fields described in literature concern technical feasibility and op-timization of MRI sequences, modifications of vocal tract in vowel or articulatory phonetics, modifications of vocal tract in singing, 3D reproduction of vocal tract and segmentation, and describing vocal tract in pathological conditions.Conclusions. MRI is potentially the best method to study the vocal tract physi-ology during voice production. Most recent studies have achieved good results in representation of changes in the vocal tract during emission of vowels and singing. Further developments in MR technique are necessary to allow an equally detailed study of faster movements that participate in the articulation of speaking, which will allow fascinating perspectives in clinical use.

Introducción. La rápida evolución tecnológica en la resonancia magnética (MRI) ha ofrecido recientemente una gran oportunidad para el análisis de la producción de voz.Objetivos. Este artículo tiene como objetivo describir los principales principios fisiológicos en la base de la producción de la voz (en particular, del tracto vocal) y una descripción general de la literatura sobre resonancia magnética del tracto vocal. Esto se presenta con el fin de analizar tanto los resultados actuales como las perspectivas futuras.Método. Se realizó una revisión narrativa mediante la búsqueda de los términos MeSH "tracto vocal" y "MRI" en la base de datos PubMed. Los estudios obtenidos se seleccionaron posteriormente por relevancia.Resultados. Los campos principales descritos en la literatura se refieren a la viabi-lidad técnica y optimización de secuencias de resonancia magnética, modificaciones del tracto vocal en una vocal o fonética articulatoria, modificaciones del tracto vocal en el canto, reproducción 3D del tracto vocal y segmentación y descripción del tracto vocal en condiciones patológicas.Conclusiones. La resonancia magnética es potencialmente el mejor método para estudiar la fisiología del tracto vocal en el momento de la producción de la voz. Los estudios más recientes han obtenido buenos resultados en la representación de cambios en el tracto vocal durante la emisión de vocales y el canto. Se necesitan más desarrollos en la técnica de RM para permitir un estudio igualmente detallado de los movimientos más rápidos que participan en la articulación del habla, lo que permi-tirá perspectivas fascinantes en el uso clínico.

Statistical Speech Segmentation in Tone Languages: The Role of Lexical Tones.

Research has demonstrated distinct roles for consonants and vowels in speech processing. For example, consonants have been shown to support lexical processes, such as the segmentation of speech based on transitional probabilities (TPs), more effectively than vowels. Theory and data so far, however, have considered only non-tone languages, that is to say, languages that lack contrastive lexical tones. In the present work, we provide a first investigation of the role of consonants and vowels in statistical speech segmentation by native speakers of Cantonese, as well as assessing how tones modulate the processing of vowels. Results show that Cantonese speakers are unable to use statistical cues carried by consonants for segmentation, but they can use cues carried by vowels. This difference becomes more evident when considering tone-bearing vowels. Additional data from speakers of Russian and Mandarin suggest that the ability of Cantonese speakers to segment streams with statistical cues carried by tone-bearing vowels extends to other tone languages, but is much reduced in speakers of non-tone languages.

Margens de tolerância e valores de referência para os formantes de vogais orais para uso em terapias de voz para surdos em computador comercial / Margins of tolerance and reference values for the formant vowels for use in voice therapy for the deaf in commercial computer

RESUMO Objetivo Este trabalho apresenta as margens de tolerâncias mínimas e máximas para as frequências dos três primeiros formantes (F1, F2 e F3) na pronúncia das vogais orais do português brasileiro para utilização em terapias de voz para surdos. Método As frequências foram obtidas a partir da colaboração voluntária de 53 indivíduos adultos que tiveram as vozes gravadas e convertidas em sinais digitais durante a emissão de cada uma das sete vogais (/a/, /e/, /Ɛ/, /i/, /o/, /ᴐ/, /u/), de maneira sustentada por cerca de um segundo. As amostras foram distribuídas em dois grupos, um masculino e outro feminino. A gravação e a extração dos formantes foram efetuadas através de software próprio desenvolvido para este fim na plataforma MATLAB, utilizando o algoritmo LPC (Linear Predictive Coding) de oito coeficientes. Resultados Os resultados mostraram que uma referência consistente para os valores médios das frequências de F1, F2 e F3 pôde ser obtida através da análise gráfica e estatística das amostras de sinais de voz coletada. Conclusão Os valores de referência encontrados foram analisados e podem ser usados para calibração de dispositivos e podem servir de base para o treinamento de oralização para surdos.

ABSTRACT Purpose This study presents the margins of minimum and maximum tolerances for the frequencies of the first three formants (F1, F2, and F3) in the pronunciation of vowels of Brazilian Portuguese for use in voice therapy for the deaf. Methods The frequencies were obtained from the voluntary collaboration of 53 adults who had their voices recorded and converted into digital signals during the phonation of each of the seven vowels (/a/, /e/, /Ɛ/, /i/, /o/, /ᴐ/, /u/) sustained for approximately one second. The samples were divided into two groups: male and female. The recording and extraction of the formants were conducted by software developed exclusively for this purpose in MATLAB platform using the eight-coefficient LPC (Linear Predictive Coding) algorithm. Results The results showed that a consistent reference for the mean values of the F1, F2, and F3 frequencies can be obtained through graphical and statistical analysis of the samples collected from the voice signals. Conclusion The reference values obtained were analyzed and can be used for the calibration of devices and serve as a basis for training oralization for the deaf.

La influencia de la orientación sexual de hombres y mujeres en las características acústicas de las vocales del español: un estudio vocálico comparativo / The influence of men and women sexual orientation on the acoustic features of Spanish vowels: a comparative vocalic study

Históricamente se han asociado, desde posiciones más bien intuitivas, ciertas características de habla con la identidad de comunidades con una orientación sexual no heterosexual, espacio desde el cual también se configuran factores que emanan desde el binarismo de lo masculino y lo femenino. A partir de la década de 1990, la comunidad científica se ha empeñado en dilucidar cuáles son dichas características prosódicas, articulatorias, acústicas y lingüísticas que poseen los hablantes con una preferencia sexual más diversa. El propósito del artículo es determinar las características acústicas de las vocales del español de Chile(/i/, /e/, /a/, /o/, /u/) presentes en palabras aisladas, leídas en voz alta por hablantes heterosexuales y homosexuales de ambos sexos para establecer cuáles son las características que los identifican, organizando los datos obtenidos por orientación sexual. El método adoptado incluyó lectura en voz alta, aplicación de exclusiones, relación de datos y análisis estadístico de algunos de ellos. En términos generales, no existen marcadores acústicos vocálicos definidos que permitan diferenciar la orientación sexual de hombres y mujeres. Se requiere considerar otro tipo de información lingüística para poder establecer dichas diferencias, si es que las hubiera...

Historically, from intuitive-oriented positions, certain features of speech have been associated with the identity of communities with a sexual orientation which is not heterosexual. In this respect, some factors are configured from the binary view of what is masculine and what is feminine. From the 1990s, thescientific community has tried to identify the prosodic, articulatory, acoustic and linguistic features which speakers with a different sexual preference have. The purpose of this study was to determine the acoustic characteristics of vowels ofChilean Spanish(/i/, /e/, /a/, /o/, /u/) in single words, read aloud byheterosexual and homosexual speakers, of both genders. The method adopted included reading aloud, data relation, exclusion criteria application and statistical analysis of some data. In general, there are no defined vocalic-acoustic markers to distinguish the sexual orientation of men and women. It is required to consider other linguistic information to establish differences...

Características acústicas de las vocales del español de Chile producidas por sujetos residentes en la ciudad de Santiago / Acoustic characteristics of the chilean spanish vowels produced by subjects resident in the city of Santiago

El presente estudio tuvo por objetivos describir las características acústicas de las vocales aisladas en jóvenes chilenos residentes en Santiago, comparar en ellos los resultados obtenidos para hombres y mujeres y también realizar una comparación con datos de hablantes en Río de la Plata (Argentina) y de Concepción (Chile). Se seleccionó una muestra de 117 estudiantes universitarios en quienes se descartó patología vocal y auditiva. Se registraron las voces de los sujetos produciendo las vocales aisladas y, posteriormente, se analizaron sus registros vocales con el software PRAAT. En general, en las comparaciones se advierte que en los sujetos de Santiago las mujeres presentan mayor frecuencia que los hombres en los formantes analizados(F0, F2, F3 y F4) excepto en F1. A su vez, las mujeres y hombres de Santiago evidencian una F0 mayor que sus pares rioplatenses, Por último, no se advierten diferencias importantes en la comparación con hablantes de Concepción. En cada comparación, se comentan también en forma detallada los formantes de cada una de las vocales...

The aim of this study was, firstly, to describe the acoustic characteristics of isolated vowels produced by Chilean young people from Santiago, Chile, secondly, to compare the results obtained between men and women and, finally, to compare the data with information collected from Argentinean speakers (Rio de la Plata) and Chilean speakers (Concepción). 117 university students were selected for this study. Neither vocal nor auditory pathologies were found in the participants. Vowels produced by the participants were registered in isolation and they were analyzed using the software PRAAT. In general, the comparison shows that women from Santiago produce higher frequency than men in the analyzed formants (F0, F2, F3 y F4), except in F1. It was also observed that women and men from Santiago show a higher F0formant than speakers from Rio de la Plata. Finally, no differences were found between speakers from Santiago and speakers from Concepción. In each comparison, a detailed description of the vowel formants is also presented...

Frequency measurement of vowel formants produced by Brazilian children aged between 4 and 8 years.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate frequency measurement of the first three formants of the seven oral Brazilian Portuguese vowels of healthy children aged 4-8 years. METHODS: Two hundred seven children of both genders were selected by oral expression screening and perceptive-auditory analysis. They were separated into four age groups (G1, G2, G3, and G4) and by gender. The voice signals were obtained from key sentence utterance and segments of the seven Brazilian Portuguese oral vowels in tonic position used to estimate formant frequency measurement. Software Praat was used to for processing the recordings. RESULTS: Findings were presented by mean values of each of the investigated parameters. A rate of 61.90% of statistically significant differences between genders was found, and when analyzing the age groups and genders, we observed that 65 of the 84 items studied (seven vowels × three formant frequencies × four groups) had higher frequencies of formants for girls. There was a decrease in the frequencies values of the first three formants with age. The results recommended grouping of G1 and G2, and they showed a clear difference between this new formed group and G4. In the age groups of 5-year old to 6 years 11 months (G2 and G3) and 6-year old to 7 years 11 months (G3 and G4), there were statistically significant changes that were random for parameter and vowel. There was a decrease in the frequencies values of the first three formants with age. CONCLUSION: Formant frequencies showed a tendency to differentiate genders and their absolute values were in general higher in girls. Age increases showed decreases in formant frequencies. Tests for statistical differences led to grouping of G1 and G2 and a clear difference between this new formed group and G4. The comparison between G2 and G3 and G3 and G4 showed random changes. The changes during this age period (5-year old to 7 years 11 months) were attributed to a transition stage of acoustic measurements in children. As formant frequencies vary according to structural and postural aspects of the vocal tract and speech organs, their study in healthy children contributes for the understanding of the development of the pediatric phonation system, in addition to offering a reference data set for future studies of children with vocal disorders that can potentially impact the resonance system.