Voice As a Parameter of Emotional and Physical Health Ahmed Abdelal Bridgewater State University, [email protected]
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Bridgewater Review Volume 32 | Issue 1 Article 11 May-2013 Voice as a Parameter of Emotional and Physical Health Ahmed Abdelal Bridgewater State University, [email protected] Recommended Citation Abdelal, Ahmed (2013). Voice as a Parameter of Emotional and Physical Health. Bridgewater Review, 32(1), 32-34. Available at: http://vc.bridgew.edu/br_rev/vol32/iss1/11 This item is available as part of Virtual Commons, the open-access institutional repository of Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, Massachusetts. gender), and is encased within a thin, newborns’ crying/vocalization con- typically produce. Let’s take the case When it involves loudness we call it rubbery, flexible and shiny cover called veys pleasure, comfort or hunger. In of laryngitis, for example, which is an shimmer. These tremors are so tiny that the mucosa/lamina propria. Because the conversation, the meaning of utterances infection of the VFs and surrounding neither speakers nor listeners can detect VFs are positioned on top of the airway, may depend solely on intonation. For laryngeal tissue. Like any type of them. When jitter and shimmer values all the air you breathe in and out must example, one can say the word great infection, laryngitis triggers swelling exceed the norms, that could mean PD, pass between them. These two little several times, conveying excitement, as an immune response, which increases a disease characterized by involuntary muscles guard our lives day and night agreement, disappointment or indiffer- vocal-fold size/weight, thus decreasing tremors that eventually affect the entire to ensure that nothing other than air ence simply by modifying intonation. the vibration rate. Vocal-fold body. Because the VFs are extremely gets into the airway. They enable us to Thus, intonation serves fundamental edges become uneven and fail to valve sensitive, PD shows up in them long sneeze, cough, push, or hold our breath social and linguistic communication the air efficiently. The escaping air before it shows up in the extremities whenever we need to. In addition to functions. If speakers do not vary pitch compromises air pressure below the and the rest of the body. Soon a person these life-preserving functions, the and loudness, and monitor their own VFs (which reduces loudness) and adds will be able to call a phone number, VFs enable us to communicate and to voices, speech becomes monotonous. noise to vocal-fold vibration, thus speak for 30 seconds and know if he/ Voice as a Parameter of Emotional add shades of meaning and emotion The listener’s nervous system soon producing hoarseness and reducing she has early symptoms of PD. The to our voices. shifts into habituation mode and ceases loudness further. experimental phase of testing included to respond to the speaker’s voice as it ten thousand people and PD detection and Physical Health Originating from the same location in ignores the unchanging noises of a dish- A 30-second Voice- rate reached 98.6% accuracy. The next the larynx, inside the Adam’s apple, the washer or a fan. Consequently, our abil- based Test to Diagnose phase is to make the system commer- Ahmed M. Abdelal VFs gradually diverge as they course ity to use intonation depends on both cially available to healthcare specialists This article provides basic information about voice and laryngeal health to fellow educators and posteriorly, and each connects into a Parkinson’s Disease (PD) vocal-fold health and voice control. (see http://www.parkinsonsvoice.org/). professional voice users with the hope that it can make a difference in their lives. I tackle voice little pyramidal cartilage (arytenoid) Voice quality reveals important Vocal pathology that alters pitch and from a multi-dimensional approach integrating research and clinical practice. What follows is in back of the larynx. A paired muscle information about vocal-fold health, loudness compromises one’s ability to Smoking and Other based on extensive research that I have reviewed over the years, on coursework that I have attached to the bases of the arytenoids and can alert us to more serious health verbally convey emotions and attitudes. Things From Which You taught in related areas (including anatomy and physiology of speech, language and hearing; rotates them inward to bring the VFs problems. In July 2012, Dr. Max Little Executive control skills enable speak- phonetics, linguistics, and neurological bases of speech, language and hearing) and on my own in contact with each other. Two other and colleagues at MIT adapted voice- Should Protect Your Voice ers to organize their thoughts, and to experience as a licensed speech language pathologist who has diagnosed and treated patients muscles bring the arytenoids more based technology that has been used by Vocal-fold tissue is extremely delicate constantly monitor their own voices with voice disorders for more than 14 years. tightly together to compress the VFs SLPs for decades to design a new test and susceptible to damage. The VFs can and listeners’ body language. against each other. With the VFs now for PD. Normally vibrating VFs tend be harmed by a variety of allergens (e.g., s we move about our daily lives there are sealed, air pressure builds up beneath What Voice Quality to make very tiny involuntary trem- pollen), noxious gases (as those found many things that we take for granted. Voice them and forces the rubbery edges of and Pitch Reveal about ors in pitch and loudness. When the in paint products and some household is one of them. Voice is an extremely intimate the mucosa open, causing the vibration tremor involves pitch we call it jitter. cleaners) and other environmental A we know as voice. Your Health part of our personalities, as it is intricately tied to our There are many voice-quality descrip- Voice as a Vehicle for nervous systems, especially the circuits responsible for tors including pleasant, husky, breathy, Conveying Emotions hoarse, raspy, strangled, strident and grav- Tips on How to Protect Your Voice and motor execution and emotional processing. For this and Attitudes elly. Voice quality is directly determined Maximize Its Performance by vocal-fold structure and function. • Avoid speaking in noisy situations. This causes you to raise your voice. reason, voice analysis has been widely used in medical A major component of speech is Normal VFs have shiny, moist mucosa the manner in which utterances are • If you suspect you are a loud speaker, get a hearing evaluation. Hearing loss can cause and criminal investigations. Criminal investigators with even, smooth edges. Whether expressed. Normally, speakers depend people to raise their voices. sometimes conduct a voice stress test states, attitudes, agreement or disagree- pitch is high or low depends on vocal- on intonation/melody of speech to to help them determine a suspect’s ment, level of certainly, truthfulness, fold vibration rate per second. The • Avoid tobacco smoke, especially the first-hand kind. add shades of meaning to their utter- credibility. Speech language patholo- deceitfulness, humor, and so on. The greater the vibration rate, the higher the ances. Intonation is achieved by • Space out speaking engagements to avoid putting excessive stress on the VFs, and to gists (SLPs) and ear, nose and throat secret lies in two small, very sensitive pitch, and vice versa. On average, for continuously varying levels of pitch, allow them to rest. doctors (ENTs) conduct voice testing muscles we know as the vocal folds example, a woman’s VFs complete 215 loudness and muscular tension. This to determine if someone has laryngeal (VFs) or vocal cords. vibrations per second, while a man’s • Drink water throughout the day (especially when talking) to ensure adequate vocal- is achieved through constant modifica- pathology. Most recently, voice analysis complete around 125. This explains fold hydration and function. tion of vocal-fold tension and length. has been used as a quick and highly The Vocal Folds Serve why a woman’s pitch is much higher Sometimes intonation is the only tool • Avoid caffeine prior to speaking engagements. Caffeine elevates anxiety and dehy- accurate tool for diagnosing Parkinson’s Life Preservation and than a man’s. These rates, however, used for conveying a message. Children drates the VFs. Disease. We can gather a tremendous are altered in the presence of a cyst, Speech Functions just a few weeks old, for example, learn amount of information about speakers tumor, inflammation, or any mass that • If you experience hoarseness or a gurgly voice while eating, contact an SLP. This could The VFs are positioned within the to use intonation as a means of com- and the messages they are trying to increases vocal-fold weight. A lesion indicate a swallowing disorder. larynx. Each VF ranges from 0.5 to munication. Mothers soon learn what convey through tone of voice. Voice could also compromise loudness and 0.94 of an inch (depending on age and type of pitch accompanying their • If you feel your voice has become less pleasant in tone, seek a voice evaluation. enables us to infer their emotional interfere with the pure tones the VFs 32 Bridgewater Review May 2013 33 gender), and is encased within a thin, newborns’ crying/vocalization con- typically produce. Let’s take the case When it involves loudness we call it rubbery, flexible and shiny cover called veys pleasure, comfort or hunger. In of laryngitis, for example, which is an shimmer. These tremors are so tiny that the mucosa/lamina propria. Because the conversation, the meaning of utterances infection of the VFs and surrounding neither speakers nor listeners can detect VFs are positioned on top of the airway, may depend solely on intonation. For laryngeal tissue. Like any type of them. When jitter and shimmer values all the air you breathe in and out must example, one can say the word great infection, laryngitis triggers swelling exceed the norms, that could mean PD, pass between them.