The Vocal Extent Measure: Development of a Novel Parameter in Voice Diagnostics and Initial Clinical Experience

Figure 1

Results of voice range profile (VRP) measurements with the DiVAS program. The upper row shows a small VRP in one patient with reduced vocal capacity due to edema of both vocal folds. The lower row displays a large VRP in a healthy singer with high vocal capacity. Left: VRPs with graphical presentation of all relevant parameters: SPL of speaking voice (green curve) at different vocal intensity levels, SPL of softest singing (blue curve), SPL of loudest singing (black curve), and singer’s formant level (red curve, characterizing the concentration of acoustic energy by resonator amplification of certain frequency ranges in the vocal tract). Middle: extraction of the envelope curves, showing the maximum limits of the softest singing voice (blue, lower line) and the loudest singing voice (black, upper line). Right: closed polygon representation of the VRP area after linear interpolation of missing measurement values as the basis for the VEM calculation (AVA program).