Acoustic analysis of snoring sounds originating from different sources determined by drug-induced sleep endoscopy

Abstract

Objective: To discuss the possibility of fundamental frequency (F0) and formant frequency (FF) to generally differentiate the sources of snoring sounds determined by drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE).

Methods: A total of 74 snoring subjects underwent DISE and snoring sounds were recorded simultaneously. The noise-suppressed snoring sounds were analyzed and classified into different groups based on the sources of vibration identified by DISE. F0 and FFs were calculated.

Results: Totally, 516 snoring sounds from three vibrating sources (the palate, combined the palate and the lateral wall, the lateral wall) of 47 patients were divided into three groups then analyzed. The levels of F0 and FFs for each group follow the order: Group 1 < Group 2 < Group 3. There was statistical difference between Group 1 and other groups in F0 and F2 (p < .05). The area under the receiver–operator curves (AUC) was F0, at 0.727, and the cut-off value was 134.2 Hz; and F2, at 0.654, and the cut-off value was 2028.0 Hz.

Conclusions: F0 and the second formant frequency (F2) are found to be significantly lower in palatal snoring sound. F0 might be a significant in distinguishing palatal snoring sound from non-palatal snoring sound. F2 is more significant than F1 and F3 in identifying the sources of the snoring sounds but is less sensitive than F0.

Chinese abstract

结论：据发现, 基音频率（F0）和第二共振峰频率（F2）在腭鼾声中显得较低。 F0对于区别腭鼾声和非腭鼾声可能是很重要的。 F2在识别打鼾声音的来源方面比F1和F3更重要, 但是没有F0敏感。

目的：讨论F0和共振峰频率（FF）在总体区分由药物诱导的睡眠内窥镜检查（DISE）所确定的鼾声来源的可能性。

方法：对74名打鼾受试者同时进行DISE检查并记录他们的鼾声。对被抑制的鼾声进行分析, 并根据DISE识别的振动源, 将其分为不同的组。计算F0和FF。

结果：将47例患者的三个振动源（腭, 腭和侧壁的综合, 侧壁）的516个打鼾声分成三组, 并对其进行分析。每个组的F0和FF的级别遵循以下顺序：第一组<第二组 <第三组。第一组和其他组之间在F0和F2方面有统计学差异（p <0.05）。受体 - 操作者曲线之下的面积（AUC）为F0 = 0.727, 截止值为134.2Hz; F2 = 0.654, 截止值为2028.0Hz。

Keywords:

• Snoring sound
• drug-induced sleep endoscopy
• formant frequency
• fundamental frequency
• palate

Acknowledgements

The research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant No. 61271410).

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Additional information

Funding

The research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant No. 61271410).