Blog Archives
Normative Values for the Voice Handicap Index-10
Conclusions
This study offers normative data for the VHI-10 that has been missing in the literature. A VHI-10 score >7 should be considered abnormal.
from the Journal of Voice
Activity Patterns in Latissimus Dorsi and Sternocleidomastoid in Classical Singers
Conclusions
LD appears to play a significant role in maintaining chest expansion and the dynamic processes underlying vibrato and coloratura singing in classically trained singers.
from the Journal of Voice
Detecting Inaudible Vocal Organ Changes Through Glottal Inverse Filtering
The aim of this study was to investigate if there were objective quantities extracted from the speech pressure waveforms that underlay inaudible changes in the symptoms of the vocal organ. This was done through analyzing 180 voice samples obtained from nine subjects (five females and four males) before and after exposure to a placebo substance (lactose) and an organic dust substance. Acoustical analysis of the voice samples was achieved by using glottal inverse filtering. Results showed that the values of primary open quotient and primary speed quotient changed significantly (P < 0.05) as did the amplitude quotient (P < 0.01). Exposure to lactose resulted in significant changes of secondary open quotient (P < 0.05) but opposite to effects found for exposure to organic dust. Modeling of the vocal tract into cross-sectional planes revealed that the immediate plane above the vocal folds correlates inversely with the feeling that voice is tense, or feeling the need to make an effort when speaking in addition having a feeling of shortness of breath or the need to gasp for air. Such results may point to acoustically detected subclinical changes in the vocal organ that the subject him/herself feels while they remain perceptually undetected by others.
from the Journal of Voice
Vocal Handicap and Quality of Life After Treatment of Advanced Squamous Carcinoma of the Larynx and/or Hypopharynx
Conclusion
Patients treated for advanced cancer of the larynx/hypopharynx present slight to moderate voice handicap and good/excellent HR-QOL. Stricter analysis of both the VHI and UW-QOL data suggests that more attention be given to the vocal handicap of the individual patient.
from the Journal of Voice
Digital Voice Analysis in Patients With Advanced Parkinson’s Disease Undergoing Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy
Conclusions
Nearly all acoustic analysis parameters during phonation of a sustained /a/ improved after DBS, but the factor that was most sensitive to the impact of both surgical and medical therapy was jitter.
from the Journal of Voice
Vocal Symptoms, Voice Activity, and Participation Profile and Professional Performance of Call Center Operators
Conclusions
The presence of vocal symptoms does not necessarily relate to decreased professional performance. However, an association between higher vocal activity limitation and participation scores and poorer professional performance was observed.
from the Journal of Voice
Evaluation of voice and quality of life after transoral endoscopic laser resection of early glottic carcinoma
Conclusion: Transoral laser resection of T1 and T2 glottic carcinoma enables adequate tumour tissue excision with preservation of acceptable vocal function. Most patients’ post-operative quality of life is very good. Anterior commissure web formation is associated with poorer vocal function.
from the Journal of Laryngology and Otology
Educative processes in the vocal health of teachers: a literature review of Brazilian studies in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology
This literature review analyzes the educative processes of vocal healthc actions aimed at teachers discussed in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology literature produced in Brazil. Our corpus consisted of 63 studies on collective intervention published between 1994 and 2008. The analysis emphasizes the distribution of publications over time; the characterization of the type of educative process (unilateral or dialogic, democratic, participatory and problema-based); the themes/content addressed; the form of development (precise or procedural); and the organization of actions (individually centered or expanded towards working issues). It was observed that 74% of the actions were developed in processes, such as courses, workshops or voice training. The average length of each meeting ranged from 20 minutes to four hours. Seventy nine percent of the educative strategies employed were characterized as unilateral and inconsistent with proposals based on healthcare promotion. The most common themes and topics were: vocal habits/behaviors and vocal hygiene/health (71%); warming up and cooling down, vocal exercises and techniques (50%); anatomy and physiology of vocal production and oral sensorimotor system (44%); vocal parameters (23%); work environment (22%), and use of voice, communication and expression (20%). The focus of the educative process is the individual (100%) and it is generally conducted without considering work conditions, health and quality of life. Work environment aspects were contemplated in only 17% of the publications, teachers’ work organization, in 6%, and school community, in 1%. It was identified the need for organization and revision of forms of development, dynamics, strategies, themes and contents, type and focus of the educative process of public healthcare actions aiming at teachers’ vocal health, according to the perspective of health promotion.
Vocal health profile of amateur singers from an evangelical church
CONCLUSION: Amateur religious singers of both genders showed an expressive percentage of vocal complaints and habits that might be associated to lack of information about healthy vocal habits, which can contribute to the development of laryngeal alterations and voice disorders.
Voice handicap in singing: analysis of the Modern Singing Handicap Index – MSHI questionnaire
CONCLUSION: The questionnaire proved to be sensitive for modern singers with vocal complaints. Choir singers with vocal complaints had higher self-reported handicap in comparison to choir singers without vocal complaints and non-singers. Aspects of organic nature were highlighted with larger deviations.
Validation of the Lithuanian Version of the Glottal Function Index
Conclusion
The GFI-LT is considered to be a valid and reliable tool for self-assessment of the severity of voice disorders in Lithuanian-speaking patients.
from the Journal of Voice
Frame by Frame Analysis of Glottic Insufficiency Using Laryngovideostroboscopy
Conclusions
FBFA appears to be a simple objective method for the novice or experienced LVS interpreter, by which one can suspect subtle GI. Because of the inherent physical properties by which LVS gives an “illusionary” representation of the glottic cycle, the FBFA technique remains a theoretical tool. Future studies using high-speed digital imaging are needed to validate this useful technique.
from the Journal of Voice
Coping Strategies in Voice Disorders of a Brazilian Population
The purpose of this research is to explore coping strategies of individuals with and without vocal complaint and to examine relationships between the type of coping and vocal complaint; vocal symptoms; vocal self-assessment; perceptual analysis and states of depression, anxiety, and aspects related to self-esteem; and locus of control. One hundred seventy-eight subjects with (n = 87) and without vocal (n = 91) complaint completed the following analysis: identification and characterization questionnaire, vocal self-assessment, perceptual analysis, Voice Disability Coping Questionnaire (VDCQ)—Brazilian Version, Beck Depression Inventory, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Health Locus of Control Scale. Age (P = 0.219) and sex (P = 0.132) were similar for both groups. The groups were statistically different for the following vocal characterization: number of symptoms, voice complaint, vocal self-assessment, and perceptual analysis. Conversely, the groups did not differ on states of depression, anxiety, and aspects related to self-esteem; and locus of control. Mean coping scores for the group with vocal complaint was 51.86 and for the group without vocal complaint was 23.18. Furthermore, men and women did not differ on the coping strategies reported (P = 0.750); however, individuals with vocal complaint reported statistically more strategies than the individuals without vocal complaint (P < 0.001). Problem-focused strategies were more frequently reported by individuals with vocal complaint (46.7%). Coping results correlated (Spearman’s r) positively with vocal perceptual analysis (P = 0.036), depression (P = 0.006), and anxiety (P = 0.022), and correlated negatively with locus of control (P = 0.001). No correlation was found between coping and the other variables studied. These findings indicate that people with vocal complaint use a variety of coping strategies, problem focused in particular, to deal with their voice problems. Coping results appear to be associated with perceptual characteristics of voice and some traits, such as depression, anxiety, and locus of control.
from the Journal of Voice
Short term effect of hubble-bubble smoking on voice
Conclusion: Even 30 minutes of hubble-bubble smoking can cause a drop in vocal pitch and an increase in laryngeal secretions and vocal fold vasodilation.
from the Journal of Laryngology and Otology
Pitch Characteristics of Homosexual Males
Results do not confirm the stereotype that gay male speech mirrors the patterns of women’s speech with respect to pitch characteristics. It would seem that the pitch patterns of gay male speakers constitute an example of sociophonetic variation.
from the Journal of Voice
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