Electroglottogram-Based Estimation of Vocal Economy: ‘Quasi-Output-Cost Ratio’

Impact stress (IS) has been regarded as the main loading factor in voice production. To quantify the cost of voice production, an output-cost ratio (OCR) was proposed, which concerns acoustic output (pressure P) in relation to IS: OCR = 20 log P(sup)/P(0) - 20 log IS/IS(0) [1,2]. IS is difficult to measure directly in humans. However, it has been found to correlate with closed quotient (CQ, closed time/period length) measured by electroglottogram (CQ(EGG)) [3]. The present study proposes a noninvasive estimate of OCR, the quasi-output-cost ratio (QOCR): (sound pressure level (SPL)/CQ(EGG)) x (period length (T)/T(0)). T(0) is set at 0.005 for females and 0.01 for males, corresponding to the respective period lengths of the mean F(0) in female and male speech (i.e. 200 and 100 Hz). QOCR was tested for 62 healthy females (23 teachers, 18 university students with voice training and 21 without). The teachers had a higher QOCR than the students in loud speech, but QOCR did not correlate with symptoms of vocal fatigue after a vocal loading test. QOCR seems to be a promising tool to quantify vocal loading but naturally not vocal loadedness.