Relationship Between Acoustic Voice Onset and Offset and Selected Instances of Oscillatory Onset and Offset in Young Healthy Men and Women

SummaryObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the relationship between (1) onset of the acoustic signal (X1a) and prephonatory phases associated with oscillatory onset and (2) offset of the acoustic signal (X2a) with the postphonatory events associated with oscillatory offset across vocally healthy adults.Subjects and MethodsHigh-speed videoendoscopy was captured simultaneously with the acoustic signal during repeated production of /hi.hi.hi/ at typical pitch and loudness from 56 vocally healthy adults (aged 20-42 years; 21 men, 35 women). The relationships between the acoustic sound pressure signal and oscillatory onset and offset events from the glottal area waveforms (GAWs) were statistically investigated using a multivariate linear regression analysis.ResultsThe X1a is a significant predictor of the onset of first oscillatory motion (X1g) and onset of sustained oscillations (X2g). X1a as well as gender are significant predictors of the first medial contact of the vocal folds (X1.5g). The X2a is a significant predictor of the first instance of oscillatory offset (X3g), first instance of incomplete glottal closure (X3.5g), and complete cessation of (vocal fold) oscillatory motion (X4g).ConclusionsThe acoustic signal onset is closely related to the X1.5g, but the latency between these events is longer for women compared to men. The X2a occurs immediately after incomplete glottal adduction. The emerging normative group latencies between the onset and offset of the acoustic and the GAW from this study appear promising for future investigations.