Martinho Diego Henrique da Cruz, Constantini Ana Carolina
Universidade Estadual de Campinas - UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
J Voice. 2025 Jan 26. doi: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2024.12.016.
To analyze acoustic measures of speech and vowel samples from individuals of different genders and to correlate these acoustic measures with vocal satisfaction. This study aims to provide additional data on acoustic measures, serving as references for clinicians while emphasizing the importance of moving beyond cisgender norms. Additionally, it addresses a gap in the Brazilian context by exploring correlations between acoustic measures and self-perceived vocal satisfaction across diverse gender groups.
Cross-sectional study. Speech segments and sustained vowel emissions from 47 individuals (11 cisgender women-CW, 11 transgender women-TW, 11 cisgender men-CM, seven transgender men-TM, and seven non-binary individuals-NB) were recorded, and 14 acoustic measures of noise, perturbation, spectral, and cepstral parameters were extracted. Vocal satisfaction was measured using a visual analog scale. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed using Kruskal-Wallis, Dwass-Steel-Critchlow-Fligner, and Spearman correlation tests, considering P < 0.05.
Significant differences were observed in various acoustic measures, such as the average fundamental frequency (f) between CW and CM (P < 0.001), TM (P = 0.015), and TW (P = 0.050); minimum f between CW and CM (P = 0.002) and TW (P = 0.050); Jitter between CW and CM (P = 0.013); H1-H2 between CW and CM (P = 0.002); Shimmer between CW and CM (P = 0.046); Acoustic Breathiness Index (ABI) SCORE between CW and CM (P = 0.024); median f in speech between CW and CM (P < 0.001), TM (P = 0.009), and TW (P = 0.011); minimum f in speech between CW and CM (P = 0.014) and TW (P = 0.031); and maximum f in speech between CW and TW (P = 0.050). The measures that correlated with vocal satisfaction were strong positive correlation for spectral emphasis in CW (R = 0.608; P = 0.047) and noise-to-harmonic ratio in TW (R = 0.724; P = 0.012); very strong positive correlation for smoothed cepstral peak prominence in TM (R = 0.847; P = 0.016); and strong negative correlation for coefficient of variation of intensity in NB (R = -0.775; P = 0.041).
Acoustic measures differ according to the speaker's gender in the studied sample. Significant differences were observed in fundamental frequency between CM and cisgender and TW, as well as between cisgender and TW. Differences in fundamental frequency, Jitter, Shimmer, the difference between the first two harmonics, and the were identified across gender groups. The measures correlated with vocal satisfaction differed among the groups. However, these correlations should be interpreted cautiously, as they suggest a relationship but do not imply causation, and their clinical significance requires further investigation.
分析不同性别人群的语音和元音样本的声学特征，并将这些声学特征与嗓音满意度相关联。本研究旨在提供关于声学特征的更多数据，为临床医生提供参考，同时强调超越顺性别规范的重要性。此外，通过探索不同性别群体中声学特征与自我感知的嗓音满意度之间的相关性，填补巴西背景下的空白。
横断面研究。记录了47名个体（11名顺性别女性-CW、11名跨性别女性-TW、11名顺性别男性-CM、7名跨性别男性-TM和7名非二元性别个体-NB）的语音片段和持续元音发音，并提取了14项关于噪声、微扰、频谱和倒谱参数的声学特征。使用视觉模拟量表测量嗓音满意度。采用Kruskal-Wallis、Dwass-Steel-Critchlow-Fligner和Spearman相关性检验进行描述性和推断性分析，P<0.05为有统计学意义。
在各种声学特征方面观察到显著差异，如CW与CM之间的平均基频（f）（P<0.001）、TM（P=0.015）和TW（P=0.050）；CW与CM之间的最低f（P=0.002）和TW（P=0.050）；CW与CM之间的抖动（P=0.013）；CW与CM之间的H1-H2（P=0.002）；CW与CM之间的闪烁（P=0.046）；CW与CM之间的声学呼吸音指数（ABI）评分（P=0.024）；CW与CM之间的语音中值f（P<0.001）、TM（P=0.009）和TW（P=0.011）；CW与CM之间语音中的最低f（P=0.014）和TW（P=0.031）；CW与TW之间语音中的最高f（P=0.050）。与嗓音满意度相关的指标为：CW中频谱强调的强正相关（R=0.608；P=0.047）和TW中噪声与谐波比值的强正相关（R=0.724；P=0.012）；TM中平滑倒谱峰值突出度的非常强正相关（R=0.847；P=0.016）；NB中强度变异系数的强负相关（R=-0.775；P=0.041）。
在所研究的样本中，声学特征因说话者的性别而异。在CM与顺性别和TW之间以及顺性别和TW之间的基频上观察到显著差异。在不同性别群体中确定了基频、抖动、闪烁、前两个谐波之间的差异以及其他方面的差异。与嗓音满意度相关的指标在不同群体中有所不同。然而，这些相关性应谨慎解释，因为它们表明了一种关系，但并不意味着因果关系，其临床意义需要进一步研究。
