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Respirology (Carlton, Vic.) Jan 2023
Topics: Humans; Singing; COVID-19; Vocal Cords; Occupational Diseases; Larynx
PubMed: 36450308
DOI: 10.1111/resp.14424 -
Medycyna Pracy Aug 2021Voice diseases occupy the third place among all of the diagnosed occupational disorders in Poland. There still exists the necessity to implement effective and economical...
BACKGROUND
Voice diseases occupy the third place among all of the diagnosed occupational disorders in Poland. There still exists the necessity to implement effective and economical methods of the primary and secondary prevention of voice disorders in teachers. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of comprehensive voice rehabilitation in teachers, conducted within a health resort hospital.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
The results of comprehensive voice rehabilitation in 100 teachers with job seniority of 10-30 years (M = 17 years), conducted during 24-day-long staying in a sanatorium, are presented in this research. Phoniatrical and laryngological examinations (maximum phonation time [MPT], perceptual assessment of voice in GRBAS scale, laryngovideostroboscopy, and acoustic analysis of voice), self-assessment of voice (the - VHI), logopedical estimation and audiometry were conducted during the first and the last day of the sanatorium stay. The therapeutic program included educational workshops on vocal hygiene, voice therapy, physiotherapy and psychotherapy. The inpatient therapy effects were also described by the teachers using a questionnaire.
RESULTS
Improvements of objective acoustic parameters, a perceptual assessment of voice, and a self-assessment of VHI and MPT were observed. Phonation style changes were confirmed in the laryngovideostroboscopic examination. Phonation closure improved significantly in 30% of the examined teachers. Moreover, 97% of the participants confirmed in the questionnaire the effectiveness and purposefulness of periodic recurrence of such rehabilitation courses.
CONCLUSIONS
The results of this research as well as the positive feedback from the participants of inpatient rehabilitation confirmed the effectiveness of occupational voice disorder rehabilitation in sanatorium (inpatient) conditions. Treatment and rehabilitation in a stationary form should aim to achieve voice improvement and job continuation. Such a procedure may contribute to reducing the financial outlays related to treatment, health leaves and occupational pensions. Med Pr. 2021;72(4):399-405.
Topics: Hospitals; Humans; Occupational Diseases; Phonation; Speech Acoustics; Voice Disorders; Voice Quality
PubMed: 34254591
DOI: 10.13075/mp.5893.01116 -
Journal of Exposure Science &... Sep 2022To elucidate the role of phonation frequency (i.e., pitch) and intensity of speech on respiratory aerosol emissions during sustained phonations.
OBJECTIVE
To elucidate the role of phonation frequency (i.e., pitch) and intensity of speech on respiratory aerosol emissions during sustained phonations.
METHODS
Respiratory aerosol emissions are measured in 40 (24 males and 16 females) healthy, non-trained singers phonating the phoneme /a/ at seven specific frequencies at varying vocal intensity levels.
RESULTS
Increasing frequency of phonation was positively correlated with particle production (r = 0.28, p < 0.001). Particle production rate was also positively correlated (r = 0.37, p < 0.001) with the vocal intensity of phonation, confirming previously reported findings. The primary mode (particle diameter ~0.6 μm) and width of the particle number size distribution were independent of frequency and vocal intensity. Regression models of the particle production rate using frequency, vocal intensity, and the individual subject as predictor variables only produced goodness of fit of adjusted R = 40% (p < 0.001). Finally, it is proposed that superemitters be defined as statistical outliers, which resulted in the identification of one superemitter in the sample of 40 participants.
SIGNIFICANCE
The results suggest there remain unexplored effects (e.g., biomechanical, environmental, behavioral, etc.) that contribute to the high variability in respiratory particle production rates, which ranged from 0.2 particles/s to 142 particles/s across all trials. This is evidenced as well by changes in the distribution of participant particle production that transitions to a more bimodal distribution (second mode at particle diameter ~2 μm) at higher frequencies and vocal intensity levels.
Topics: Female; Humans; Male; Phonation; Respiratory Aerosols and Droplets; Speech
PubMed: 35351959
DOI: 10.1038/s41370-022-00430-z -
European Archives of... Apr 2022The authors aim to review available reports on the potential effects of masks on voice and speech parameters. (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
The authors aim to review available reports on the potential effects of masks on voice and speech parameters.
METHODS
A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE and Google Scholar databases through July 2021. Several targeted populations, mask scenarios and methodologies were approached. The assessed voice parameters were divided into self-reported, acoustic and aerodynamic.
RESULTS
It was observed that the wearing of a face mask has been shown to induce several changes in voice parameters: (1) self-reported-significantly increased vocal effort and fatigue, increased vocal tract discomfort and increased values of voice handicap index (VHI) were observed; (2) acoustics-increased voice intensity, altered formants frequency (F2 and F3) with no changes in fundamental frequency, increased harmonics-to-noise ratio (HNR) and increased mean spectral values in high-frequency levels (1000-8000 Hz), especially with KN95 mask; (3) aerodynamics-maximum phonatory time was assessed in only two reports, and showed no alterations.
CONCLUSION
Despite the different populations, mask-type scenarios and methodologies described by each study, the results of this review outline the significant changes in voice characteristics with the use of face masks. Wearing a mask shows to increase the perception of vocal effort and an alteration of the vocal tract length and speech articulatory movements, leading to spectral sound changes, impaired communication and perception. Studies analyzing the effect of masks on voice aerodynamics are lacking. Further research is required to study the long-term effects of face masks on the potential development of voice pathology.
Topics: Acoustics; Humans; Phonation; Speech; Speech Acoustics; Voice; Voice Disorders; Voice Quality
PubMed: 34550454
DOI: 10.1007/s00405-021-07086-9 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jan 2023(1) Background: Individuals with pulmonary disease need intensive and consistent rehabilitation due to their high risk for serious illness and long-term complications.... (Review)
Review
(1) Background: Individuals with pulmonary disease need intensive and consistent rehabilitation due to their high risk for serious illness and long-term complications. The purpose of this scoping review was to provide a comprehensive analysis of relevant research regarding the use of singing in pulmonary rehabilitation. (2) Methods: A systematic literature search was performed using the PsycINFO, CINAHL, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. A search for studies that employed singing in pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with pulmonary disease was conducted. (3) Results: Studies that met the selection criteria were summarized and analyzed. Twenty-seven studies were included in the final analysis. Results showed that research using singing in pulmonary rehabilitation generally employed an intervention with structured tasks and additional home practice or socialization time. However, the singing procedure in each intervention was not always specifically described and the findings were inconsistent. (4) Conclusions: Programmed singing interventions can support lung health and be an effective component of pulmonary rehabilitation. The therapeutic singing method in relation to respiratory exercises should be integrated into the main activity in the intervention. Overall, singing has physical and psychosocial effects, leading to improvements in symptoms, but more research is necessary to ensure that the respiratory needs of people with pulmonary disease are adequately met.
Topics: Humans; Singing; Breathing Exercises; Lung Diseases; Quality of Life
PubMed: 36674142
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20021383 -
Journal of Voice : Official Journal of... Mar 2023The purpose of this study was to review current literature of the impact of COVID-19 on musicians and returning to singing. (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to review current literature of the impact of COVID-19 on musicians and returning to singing.
METHODS
A comprehensive search of peer-review articles was completed using PubMed, GoogleScholar, Scopus, and Web of Science. The search was completed using many key terms including voice, hoarseness, dysphonia, aphonia, cough, singers, and public speakers. The bibliography from each article found was searched to find additional articles. The search process revealed 56 peer-reviewed articles, 18 primary articles, ranging from the years 2019 to 2020.
CONCLUSION
COVID-19 has had a major impact on singers and other musicians worldwide. It can affect the voice and can lead to paresis/paralysis of laryngeal nerves to long-term changes in respiratory function. There is a risk from aerosolization/droplet formation transmission with singing, and with playing wind and brass instruments that can be mitigated by following COVID-19 guidelines. Ways to reduce possible transmission during singing and instrument play include virtual rehearsals or performances, mask-wearing, instrument covers, smaller choirs, performing outside, excellent ventilation being socially distanced, shorter rehearsals, regularly cleaning commonly touched surfaces and washing hands, avoiding contact with others, and temperature screening.
Topics: Humans; Singing; COVID-19; Music; Voice; Dysphonia
PubMed: 33583675
DOI: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2020.12.042 -
Health Promotion International Jun 2022
Topics: Health Promotion; Humans; Singing; Social Behavior
PubMed: 35416962
DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daac033 -
Science (New York, N.Y.) Nov 2019What is universal about music, and what varies? We built a corpus of ethnographic text on musical behavior from a representative sample of the world's societies, as well...
What is universal about music, and what varies? We built a corpus of ethnographic text on musical behavior from a representative sample of the world's societies, as well as a discography of audio recordings. The ethnographic corpus reveals that music (including songs with words) appears in every society observed; that music varies along three dimensions (formality, arousal, religiosity), more within societies than across them; and that music is associated with certain behavioral contexts such as infant care, healing, dance, and love. The discography-analyzed through machine summaries, amateur and expert listener ratings, and manual transcriptions-reveals that acoustic features of songs predict their primary behavioral context; that tonality is widespread, perhaps universal; that music varies in rhythmic and melodic complexity; and that elements of melodies and rhythms found worldwide follow power laws.
Topics: Anthropology, Cultural; Auditory Perception; Behavior; Cross-Cultural Comparison; Dancing; Humans; Infant Care; Infant, Newborn; Love; Music; Psychoacoustics; Religion; Singing
PubMed: 31753969
DOI: 10.1126/science.aax0868 -
Phonetica Dec 2022Phonation and vowel quality are often thought to play a vital role at the initial stage of tonogenesis. This paper investigates the production of voicing and tones in a...
Phonation and vowel quality are often thought to play a vital role at the initial stage of tonogenesis. This paper investigates the production of voicing and tones in a tonal Northern Kmhmu' dialect spoken in Nan Province, Thailand, and a non-tonal Eastern Kmhmu' dialect spoken in Vientiane, Laos, from both acoustic and electroglottographic perspectives. Large and consistent VOT differences between voiced and voiceless stops are preserved in Eastern Kmhmu', but are not found in Northern Kmhmu', consistent with previous reports. With respect to pitch, f0 is clearly a secondary property of the voicing contrast in Eastern Kmhmu', but unquestionably the primary contrastive property in Northern Kmhmu'. Crucially, no evidence is found to suggest that either phonation type or formant differences act as significant cues to voicing in Eastern Kmhmu' or tones in Northern Kmhmu'. These results suggests that voicing contrasts can also be transphonologized directly into f0-based contrasts, skipping a registral stage based primarily on phonation and/or vowel quality.
Topics: Humans; Voice; Phonation; Language; Speech Acoustics; Acoustics; Phonetics
PubMed: 36719795
DOI: 10.1515/phon-2022-0029 -
The relationship between biomechanics of pharyngoesophageal segment and tracheoesophageal phonation.Scientific Reports Jul 2019This study examined the relationship between biomechanical features of the pharyngoesophageal (PE) segment, acoustic characteristics of tracheoesophageal (TE) phonation,...
This study examined the relationship between biomechanical features of the pharyngoesophageal (PE) segment, acoustic characteristics of tracheoesophageal (TE) phonation, and patients' satisfaction with TE phonation. Fifteen patients using TE phonation after total laryngectomy completed the Voice Symptom Scale (VoiSS) and underwent acoustic voice analysis for cepstral peak prominence (CPP) and relative intensity. High resolution manometry (HRM) combined with videofluoroscopy was used to evaluate PE segment pressure and calculate the pressure gradient (ΔP), which was the pressure difference between the upper oesophagus and a point two centimetres above the vibrating PE segment. The upper oesophageal sphincter (UOS) minimal diameters were measured by Endolumenal Functional Lumen Imaging Probe (EndoFLIP). HRM detected rapid pressure changes at the level of the 4th - 6th cervical vertebra. CPP, relative intensity, and ΔP were significant predictors of satisfactory TE phonation. ΔP was a significant predictor of CPP and intensity. Minimal UOS diameter was a significant predictor of relative intensity of TE phonation. In two patients with unsuccessful TE phonation, endoscopic dilatation subsequently restored TE phonation. These findings suggest that sufficient ΔP and large UOS diameter are required for satisfactory TE phonation. Endoscopic dilatation increasing UOS diameter may provide a new approach to treat unsuccessful TE phonation.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Biomechanical Phenomena; Esophagus; Female; Humans; Laryngectomy; Male; Middle Aged; Patient Satisfaction; Pharynx; Phonation; Trachea; Treatment Outcome; Vibration; Voice Quality
PubMed: 31278355
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46223-7