Park Young-Jae, Park Young-Bae
Department of Diagnosis and Biofunctional Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea,
Chin J Integr Med. 2015 May;21(5):346-54. doi: 10.1007/s11655-015-2171-9. Epub 2015 May 3.
To examine whether vocal characteristics estimated by acoustic parameters were associated with phlegm, yin deficiency, or cold-heat patterns.
A total of 75 college students (males:females = 53:22) aged 19-24 years were enrolled in this study. Each subject was asked to complete the phlegm pattern questionnaire (PPQ), yin deficiency questionnaire (YDQ) and cold-heat questionnaire (CHQ). For the acoustic analysis, each subject was asked to produce a sustained vowel sound (/a/) for 3 s to be used to calculate acoustic parameters. Then, habitual fundamental frequency (F0), jitter, shimmer, F0tremor, mean F0, standard deviation of F0, maximum F0, minimum F0, normalized noise energy, harmonic-to-noise ratio, signal-to-noise ratio, amplitude tremor, and power ratio were calculated using the Dr. Speech software. Finally, four hierarchical regression models with pattern questionnaire scores as dependent variables were formed to examine which factors among acoustic parameters, sex, and age were predictive of those pattern scores.
PPQ, YDQ, heat, and cold pattern scores all formed significant regression model equations and the adjusted R2 values were 0.281, 0.164, 0.156, and 0.170, respectively. There were aging effects in the PPQ and YDQ models (standardized β=0.199, 0.271, respectively). Vocal tremor-related F0 tremor and vocal ringing-related power ratio parameters were associated with PPQ and YDQ scores. Gender was directly predictive of PPQ and indirectly moderated the relationship between power ratio and YDQ score. Vocal pitch-related habitual F0 and mean F0 were associated with heat and cold scores. These results indicate that the vocal qualities of phlegm- and yin deficiency-susceptible subjects tend to be ringing and less tremorous, and those of heat- and cold-susceptible subjects tend to be high-pitched.
Our study results suggest that vocal characteristics estimated by acoustic parameters are partially predictive of phlegm, yin deficiency, heat, and cold patterns. In terms of phlegm and yin deficiency patterns, there were direct or moderating effects of sex and age.
研究通过声学参数估计的嗓音特征是否与痰湿、阴虚或寒热证型相关。
本研究共纳入75名年龄在19 - 24岁的大学生（男∶女 = 53∶22）。要求每位受试者完成痰湿证型问卷（PPQ）、阴虚证型问卷（YDQ）和寒热证型问卷（CHQ）。对于声学分析，要求每位受试者发出一个持续3秒的元音/a/，用于计算声学参数。然后，使用Dr. Speech软件计算习惯性基频（F0）、抖动、闪烁、F0震颤、平均F0、F0标准差、最大F0、最小F0、归一化噪声能量、谐波噪声比、信噪比、振幅震颤和功率比。最后，构建四个以证型问卷分数为因变量的分层回归模型，以检验声学参数、性别和年龄中哪些因素可预测这些证型分数。
PPQ、YDQ、热证和寒证分数均形成了显著的回归模型方程，调整后的R2值分别为0.281、0.164、0.156和0.170。PPQ和YDQ模型存在年龄效应（标准化β分别为0.199、0.271）。与嗓音震颤相关的F0震颤和与嗓音共鸣相关的功率比参数与PPQ和YDQ分数相关。性别直接预测PPQ，并间接调节功率比与YDQ分数之间的关系。与嗓音音高相关的习惯性F0和平均F0与热证和寒证分数相关。这些结果表明，易出现痰湿和阴虚的受试者的嗓音特质往往更具共鸣且震颤较小，而易出现热证和寒证的受试者的嗓音特质往往音调较高。
我们的研究结果表明，通过声学参数估计的嗓音特征部分可预测痰湿、阴虚、热证和寒证型。在痰湿和阴虚证型方面，存在性别和年龄的直接或调节作用。
