Anna Barney - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Anna Barney

Biomedical Signal Processing and Control

Current Alzheimer Research, 2017

INTRODUCTION: One of the most common presenting features of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is persevera... more INTRODUCTION: One of the most common presenting features of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is perseverative behavior: the tendency to make the same statement, ask the same question, or carry out the same action repeatedly over the course of the day. Since this phenomenon is widespread among patients with dementia, it is generally regarded as a sensitive indicator of a cognitive disorder that probably becomes more frequent with the progression of the condition. Having a means of measuring the occurrence of repeated speech episodes as the patients go about their daily lives could be used as a diagnostic aid and a tool for monitoring the condition. Continuous speech recording in a realworld setting would, however, violates privacy, can be prone to contamination by external noise and would be difficult to interpret without manually segmenting the various sources of recorded language (i.e. patient and interlocutors). Recording of energy fluctuations from the vocal apparatus through the bones of the skull (bone-conducted speech), however, enables us to collect data that derive exclusively from the patient. In this study a methodology to record and analyze bone-conducted speech using motif discovery techniques to identify, quantify and assess repeated speech segments from large sets of recorded data, was proposed. In order to evaluate the performance of the adopted method for speech pattern detection, pilot data consisting of both air-and bone-conducted speech recorded by actors using scripted texts with certain short questions and statements embedded several times, have been collected and processed and the preliminary results obtained are reported. METHOD: A proof of concept experimental testing was undertaken on 5 healthy subjects. The subjects were instructed to read aloud 3 predefined scripts containing short, embedded, repeated questions and statements. Boneconducted speech was recorded using an accelerometer attached to the skin above the temporo-mandibular joint, amplified and sampled at a frequency of 16 kHz. Synchronous recording of the air-conducted speech via a conventional headset microphone served as a reference to validate the accelerometer data. The accelerometer data, devoid of any semantic content, was automatically analyzed using signal processing techniques. Speech segments were extracted from the recordings, bandpass filtered, denoised and divided into frames for feature extraction. A set of 95 features, including statistical measures, spectral moments, Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients, Perceptual Linear Predictive Cepstral Coefficients and prosodic measures, were calculated for each frame.

Alzheimer's & Dementia, 2012

Biostec, 2009

A barrier to assess the relative effectiveness of respiratory therapies has been insufficient acc... more A barrier to assess the relative effectiveness of respiratory therapies has been insufficient accurate, reliable, and sensitive outcome measures. Lung sounds provide useful information for assessing and monitoring respiratory patients. However, standard auscultation is too subjective to allow them to be used as an outcome measure. In this paper, Computer Aided Lung Sound Analysis (CALSA) characterising crackles' Initial Deflection Width (IDW) and Two Cycle Deflection (2CD) is proposed as a potential objective, non-invasive, bedside ...

This paper presents Universidade de Aveiro's Voice Evaluation Protocol for European Portuguese (E... more This paper presents Universidade de Aveiro's Voice Evaluation Protocol for European Portuguese (EP), and a preliminary inter-rater reliability study. Ten patients with vocal pathology were assessed, by two Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs). Protocol parameters such as overall severity, roughness, breathiness, change of loudness (CAPE-V), grade, breathiness and strain (GRBAS), glottal attack, respiratory support, respiratory-phonotary-articulatory coordination, digital laryngeal manipulation, voice quality after manipulation, muscular tension and diagnosis, presented high reliability and were highly correlated (good inter-rater agreement and high value of correlation). Values for the overall severity and grade were similar to those reported in the literature.

... Shadle, CH, Barney, AM and Thomas, DW (1991) An Investigation into the Acoustics and Aerodyna... more ... Shadle, CH, Barney, AM and Thomas, DW (1991) An Investigation into the Acoustics and Aerodynamics of the Larynx. In: Vocal Fold Physiology. pp. 73-82. Full text not available from this repository. ... Creator/Authors: CH Shadle. AM Barney. DW Thomas. Editors: J. Gauffin. ...

... [8] CH Shadle, AM Barney, DW Thomas, "An Investigation into the Acoustics and Aerodynami... more ... [8] CH Shadle, AM Barney, DW Thomas, "An Investigation into the Acoustics and Aerodynamics of the Larynx", Forthcoming in Vocal Fold Physiology, J. Gauffin and B. Fritzell (eds), Raven Press. ... [11] RS McGowan, "An Aeroacoustic Approach to Phonation", J. Acoust. Soc. ...

� Abstract—The acoustic and articulatory properties of fricative speech sounds are being studied ... more � Abstract—The acoustic and articulatory properties of fricative speech sounds are being studied using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and acoustic recordings from a single subject. Area functions were derived from a complete set of axial and coronal MR slices using two different methods: the Mermelstein technique and the Blum transform. Area functions derived from the two techniques were shown to differ significantly in some cases. Such differences will lead to different acoustic predictions and it is important to know which is the more accurate. The vocal tract acoustic transfer function (VTTF) was derived from these area functions for each fricative and compared with measured speech signals for the same fricative and same subject. The VTTFs for /f/ in two vowel contexts and the corresponding acoustic spectra are derived here; the Blum transform appears to show a better match between prediction and measurement than the Mermelstein technique.

In the source-filter model of speech production it is assumed that the acoustic source mechanism ... more In the source-filter model of speech production it is assumed that the acoustic source mechanism is independent of the vocal tract acoustics. In fact, the changing acoustic boundary condition at the glottal end of the vocal tract may be expected to affect the formant frequency and the formant bandwidth, with a corresponding effect on voice quality. In this study, a geometrically simplified physical model of the vocal tract, larynx and sub-glottal tract is used in the presence of an external applied sound field to quantify the changes to the acoustic response of the vocal tract with changing glottal width. The applied sound field is tonal, generated by a loudspeaker, at frequencies ranging from 300 Hz to 2 kHz. The acoustic response of the vocal tract is measured with a pair of pressure transducers, spaced 8 cm apart, and mounted flush with the vocal tract wall. The acoustic transfer function from glottis to lips of the vocal tract is calculated from the measurements using the method...

A dynamic mechanical model of the vocal folds and tract has been developed. The model has moving ... more A dynamic mechanical model of the vocal folds and tract has been developed. The model has moving shutters representing the vocal folds, which intersect with a uniform rectangular duct representing the sub- and supra- vocal tract. The dimensions of the model are those of a typical adult male and the shutters can be driven sinusoidally at frequencies up to 80 Hz. Duct-wall pressure measurements and velocity measurements obtained within the duct by a hotwire anemometer have been obtained. The development of the jet at the glottal exit is discussed for two different upstream boundary conditions: with and without a large compliant volume representing the lungs.

Two major functions of the human vocal tract are feeding and speaking. As, ontogenetically and ph... more Two major functions of the human vocal tract are feeding and speaking. As, ontogenetically and phylogenetically, feeding tasks precede speaking tasks, it has been hypothesised that the skilled movements of the orofacial articulators specific to speech may have evolved from feeding functions.

2010 3rd International Symposium on Applied Sciences in Biomedical and Communication Technologies (ISABEL 2010), 2010

ABSTRACT Recent research has shown that snoring generates sleep disturbances and apnoeas, which, ... more ABSTRACT Recent research has shown that snoring generates sleep disturbances and apnoeas, which, if not treated, could lead to a number of health problems like headaches or heart problems. The physical cause of snoring is an obstruction of the human upper airway found at three primary sites: soft palate, pharynx or tongue. Although palatal flutter may not be the only cause of snoring, it is found to be the dominant mechanical factor in many subjects. The main objective of this study is to design a biomechanical model of the soft palate in order to analyze its vibration behavior. The model, based on fluid dynamics fundamentals, can be used to compare the vibration of a healthy soft palate to a problematic one, considering its length and stiffness, and, thus, it could be a useful tool to estimate the effectiveness of the current treatments to snoring problem.

Biomedical Signal Processing and Control

Current Alzheimer Research, 2017

INTRODUCTION: One of the most common presenting features of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is persevera... more INTRODUCTION: One of the most common presenting features of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is perseverative behavior: the tendency to make the same statement, ask the same question, or carry out the same action repeatedly over the course of the day. Since this phenomenon is widespread among patients with dementia, it is generally regarded as a sensitive indicator of a cognitive disorder that probably becomes more frequent with the progression of the condition. Having a means of measuring the occurrence of repeated speech episodes as the patients go about their daily lives could be used as a diagnostic aid and a tool for monitoring the condition. Continuous speech recording in a realworld setting would, however, violates privacy, can be prone to contamination by external noise and would be difficult to interpret without manually segmenting the various sources of recorded language (i.e. patient and interlocutors). Recording of energy fluctuations from the vocal apparatus through the bones of the skull (bone-conducted speech), however, enables us to collect data that derive exclusively from the patient. In this study a methodology to record and analyze bone-conducted speech using motif discovery techniques to identify, quantify and assess repeated speech segments from large sets of recorded data, was proposed. In order to evaluate the performance of the adopted method for speech pattern detection, pilot data consisting of both air-and bone-conducted speech recorded by actors using scripted texts with certain short questions and statements embedded several times, have been collected and processed and the preliminary results obtained are reported. METHOD: A proof of concept experimental testing was undertaken on 5 healthy subjects. The subjects were instructed to read aloud 3 predefined scripts containing short, embedded, repeated questions and statements. Boneconducted speech was recorded using an accelerometer attached to the skin above the temporo-mandibular joint, amplified and sampled at a frequency of 16 kHz. Synchronous recording of the air-conducted speech via a conventional headset microphone served as a reference to validate the accelerometer data. The accelerometer data, devoid of any semantic content, was automatically analyzed using signal processing techniques. Speech segments were extracted from the recordings, bandpass filtered, denoised and divided into frames for feature extraction. A set of 95 features, including statistical measures, spectral moments, Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients, Perceptual Linear Predictive Cepstral Coefficients and prosodic measures, were calculated for each frame.

Alzheimer's & Dementia, 2012

Biostec, 2009

A barrier to assess the relative effectiveness of respiratory therapies has been insufficient acc... more A barrier to assess the relative effectiveness of respiratory therapies has been insufficient accurate, reliable, and sensitive outcome measures. Lung sounds provide useful information for assessing and monitoring respiratory patients. However, standard auscultation is too subjective to allow them to be used as an outcome measure. In this paper, Computer Aided Lung Sound Analysis (CALSA) characterising crackles' Initial Deflection Width (IDW) and Two Cycle Deflection (2CD) is proposed as a potential objective, non-invasive, bedside ...

This paper presents Universidade de Aveiro's Voice Evaluation Protocol for European Portuguese (E... more This paper presents Universidade de Aveiro's Voice Evaluation Protocol for European Portuguese (EP), and a preliminary inter-rater reliability study. Ten patients with vocal pathology were assessed, by two Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs). Protocol parameters such as overall severity, roughness, breathiness, change of loudness (CAPE-V), grade, breathiness and strain (GRBAS), glottal attack, respiratory support, respiratory-phonotary-articulatory coordination, digital laryngeal manipulation, voice quality after manipulation, muscular tension and diagnosis, presented high reliability and were highly correlated (good inter-rater agreement and high value of correlation). Values for the overall severity and grade were similar to those reported in the literature.

... Shadle, CH, Barney, AM and Thomas, DW (1991) An Investigation into the Acoustics and Aerodyna... more ... Shadle, CH, Barney, AM and Thomas, DW (1991) An Investigation into the Acoustics and Aerodynamics of the Larynx. In: Vocal Fold Physiology. pp. 73-82. Full text not available from this repository. ... Creator/Authors: CH Shadle. AM Barney. DW Thomas. Editors: J. Gauffin. ...

... [8] CH Shadle, AM Barney, DW Thomas, "An Investigation into the Acoustics and Aerodynami... more ... [8] CH Shadle, AM Barney, DW Thomas, "An Investigation into the Acoustics and Aerodynamics of the Larynx", Forthcoming in Vocal Fold Physiology, J. Gauffin and B. Fritzell (eds), Raven Press. ... [11] RS McGowan, "An Aeroacoustic Approach to Phonation", J. Acoust. Soc. ...

� Abstract—The acoustic and articulatory properties of fricative speech sounds are being studied ... more � Abstract—The acoustic and articulatory properties of fricative speech sounds are being studied using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and acoustic recordings from a single subject. Area functions were derived from a complete set of axial and coronal MR slices using two different methods: the Mermelstein technique and the Blum transform. Area functions derived from the two techniques were shown to differ significantly in some cases. Such differences will lead to different acoustic predictions and it is important to know which is the more accurate. The vocal tract acoustic transfer function (VTTF) was derived from these area functions for each fricative and compared with measured speech signals for the same fricative and same subject. The VTTFs for /f/ in two vowel contexts and the corresponding acoustic spectra are derived here; the Blum transform appears to show a better match between prediction and measurement than the Mermelstein technique.

In the source-filter model of speech production it is assumed that the acoustic source mechanism ... more In the source-filter model of speech production it is assumed that the acoustic source mechanism is independent of the vocal tract acoustics. In fact, the changing acoustic boundary condition at the glottal end of the vocal tract may be expected to affect the formant frequency and the formant bandwidth, with a corresponding effect on voice quality. In this study, a geometrically simplified physical model of the vocal tract, larynx and sub-glottal tract is used in the presence of an external applied sound field to quantify the changes to the acoustic response of the vocal tract with changing glottal width. The applied sound field is tonal, generated by a loudspeaker, at frequencies ranging from 300 Hz to 2 kHz. The acoustic response of the vocal tract is measured with a pair of pressure transducers, spaced 8 cm apart, and mounted flush with the vocal tract wall. The acoustic transfer function from glottis to lips of the vocal tract is calculated from the measurements using the method...

A dynamic mechanical model of the vocal folds and tract has been developed. The model has moving ... more A dynamic mechanical model of the vocal folds and tract has been developed. The model has moving shutters representing the vocal folds, which intersect with a uniform rectangular duct representing the sub- and supra- vocal tract. The dimensions of the model are those of a typical adult male and the shutters can be driven sinusoidally at frequencies up to 80 Hz. Duct-wall pressure measurements and velocity measurements obtained within the duct by a hotwire anemometer have been obtained. The development of the jet at the glottal exit is discussed for two different upstream boundary conditions: with and without a large compliant volume representing the lungs.

Two major functions of the human vocal tract are feeding and speaking. As, ontogenetically and ph... more Two major functions of the human vocal tract are feeding and speaking. As, ontogenetically and phylogenetically, feeding tasks precede speaking tasks, it has been hypothesised that the skilled movements of the orofacial articulators specific to speech may have evolved from feeding functions.

2010 3rd International Symposium on Applied Sciences in Biomedical and Communication Technologies (ISABEL 2010), 2010

ABSTRACT Recent research has shown that snoring generates sleep disturbances and apnoeas, which, ... more ABSTRACT Recent research has shown that snoring generates sleep disturbances and apnoeas, which, if not treated, could lead to a number of health problems like headaches or heart problems. The physical cause of snoring is an obstruction of the human upper airway found at three primary sites: soft palate, pharynx or tongue. Although palatal flutter may not be the only cause of snoring, it is found to be the dominant mechanical factor in many subjects. The main objective of this study is to design a biomechanical model of the soft palate in order to analyze its vibration behavior. The model, based on fluid dynamics fundamentals, can be used to compare the vibration of a healthy soft palate to a problematic one, considering its length and stiffness, and, thus, it could be a useful tool to estimate the effectiveness of the current treatments to snoring problem.