Quantitative characterization of functional voice disorders using motion analysis of high-speed video and modeling

Abstract

A semi-automatic motion analysis software is used to extract elongation-time diagrams (trajectories) of vocal fold vibrations from digital high-speed video sequences. By combining digital image processing with biomechanical modeling we extract characteristic parameters such as phonation onset time and pitch. A modified two-mass model of the vocal folds is employed in order to fit the main features of the simulated time series to those of the extracted trajectories. Due to the variation of the model parameters, general conclusions can be made about laryngeal dysfunctions such as functional dysphonia. We show the first results of semi-automatic motion analysis in combination with model simulations as a step towards a computer aided diagnosis of voice disorders.