Effects of Medical Masks on Voice Assessment during the COVID-19 Pandemic

摘要: Abstract Objective : Voice analysis is of great significance to the evaluation voice quality. Our study aims explore effects medical masks on healthy people in acoustic, aerodynamic and formant parameters during COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, we also attempted verify differences between different sexes ages. Methods Fifty-three participants (25 males 28 females) were involved our study. The acoustic parameters, including fundamental frequency (F0), sound pressure level (SPL), percentage jitter (%), shimmer noise harmonic ratio (NHR) cepstral peak prominence (CPP), parameter (maximum phonation time, MPT) (formant frequency, F1, F2, F3) without with wearing included. We further investigated potential impact ages (≤45 years old and>45 old). Results While masks, SPL significantly increased (71.22±4.25 dB, 72.42±3.96 P=0.021). Jitter decreased (jitter 1.19±0.83, 0.87±0.67 P=0.005; 4.49±2.20, 3.66±2.02 P=0.002), as did F3 (2855±323.34 Hz, 2781.89±353.42 Hz P=0.004). F0, MPT, F1 F2 showed increasing trends statistical significance, NHR well CPP little change before after masks. There no significant seen females. Regarding age, a difference MPT was (>45-year-old 16.15±6.98 s, 15.38±7.02 s; ≤45-year-old 20.26±6.47 21.44±6.98 P=0.032). Conclusion Healthy higher SPL, smaller perturbation an evident decrease These changes may result from adjustment vocal tract filtration function leading stability voices recorded being overstated. impacts sex not evident, while >45-year-old group influenced more than that group.