Citation

Lajambe CM, Brown FM, Reichardt RM, Brenner M, Prosek RA. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 2010; 127(3): 1994.

Affiliation

201 Transportation Res. Bldg., Penn State Univ., University Park, PA 16802, cml149@psu.eduPenn State Univ., University Park, PA, 16802Towson Univ., Towson, MD, 21252Natl. Transportation Safety Board, Washington, DC, 20594Penn State Univ., University Park, PA, 16802.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, American Institute of Physics)

DOI

10.1121/1.3385165

PMID

20331055

Abstract

Unobtrusive, economical, and readily accessible fatigue-monitoring technologies are needed especially in transportation, military operations, and security industries. Voice analysis is compatible with operational settings, given its minimal interference with hands-on work duties. Controlled laboratory studies are underway to establish the sensitivity of this fatigue-monitoring method. A recent study evaluated sleep-deprivation consequences on basic voice attributes using multiple speech tasks. Twenty-six native English-speaking 18-26 year-old subjects were screened for physical and psychological problems. Several sleepwake cycles were monitored with actigraphy prior to laboratory participation. Vocal measures were compared between 13 speakers sleep deprived for 36 hours and 13 non-sleep-deprived controls. In the laboratory, speech was recorded during baseline sessions and on the following day. Group differences varied by speech task and vocal measure, with more sleep-deprivation sensitivity found, for example, in speaking rate as compared to fundamental frequency. Fatigue-related changes in vocal measures were associated with decrements in psychomotor reaction times and cognitive performance. Results are compared with previous studies relating psycho-physiological states to basic voice measures. Design considerations are discussed.

Language: en