FORMOFFA - AN AUTOMATED FORMANT, MOMENT, FUNDAMENTAL-FREQUENCY, AMPLITUDE ANALYSIS OF NORMAL AND DISORDERED SPEECH

A system for semi-automatic, multi-parameter acoustic analysis is desc ribed. The system, called FORMOFFA (For = FORmants, Mo = MOments, FF = Fundamental Frequency, A = Amplitude), operates on a PC microcomputer by adaptations of commercially available software. Data displays incl ude a deterministic time record of instantaneous values, and an ergodi c time-compressed distribution. In this report the technique is develo ped with a one-word example, and some measurement and reliability issu es are described. The analysis possibilities are then illustrated with several applications: (1) segmental analysis of normal speech, (2) ac oustic assessment of the effects of a progressive neurological disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) on sentence production, (3) acoustic study of palatal lift management of a patient with traumatic brain inj ury, and (4) phonetic assessment of word production by a subject with dysarthria. Although the current technique is recommended as a researc h tool, this kind of analysis promises several advantages for clinical application, including semi-automaticity, efficiency, parsimony, and relevance to both segmental and suprasegmental levels of analysis.