Spectral and Cepstral Based Acoustic Features of Voices with Muscle Tension Dysphonia

Muscle tension dysphonia (MTD) is a voice disorder that occurs as a result of misuse or abuse of the voice [1]. While there is no neurological damage to the larynx nor any structural abnormality present, patients with MTD have limitations in vocal vibrations due to laryngeal muscle tension. Consequently, such patients demonstrate pathological voice problems, such as hoarseness, strained and strangled voice, and voice tremors. Speech and language pathology has attempted to describe the acoustic features of patients with MTD or other voice disorders based on perceptual assessment, which evaluates dysphonia severity or information regarding voice quality, and instrumental assessment, which evaluates acoustic analysis results. The goal of objective assessment, in particular, is to take a variety of acoustic approaches to distinguish the voice of dysphonic patients from that of normal speakers. Recent findings on the clinical usefulness of cepstral and spectral parameters have Purpose: This study aimed to examine the cepstral and spectral acoustic features of patients with muscle tension dysphonia (MTD).