About this Research Topic
Hitherto, the research literature has focused on studying speech signals obtained under highly controlled acoustic conditions, which hinders recruitment and monitoring of the population at large. Lately, new challenges have emerged as speech signals are collected on massive scales using the internet, smart phone apps, or the telephone network under non-controlled acoustic conditions. Moreover, exciting new applications have been explored, for example to assess early vocal pathologies, assessment of neurodegenerative and mental disorders, communication and professional use of voice (e.g. singing). Finally, technological advances and methodologies enable researchers to accurately assess and understand the mechanisms of voice production, and prompting new questions for researchers.
Both methodological/algorithmic contributions in any aspect of speech/voice processing, and applications in biomedicine and the life sciences are welcome in this Research Topic. These include but are not limited to neurodegenerative assessment, forensic analysis, snoring, and equipment and frameworks assisting the collection and interpretation of data.
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.