Self-assessment of voice, vocal quality and usual fundamental frequency after semioccluded vocal tract exercises in teachers

Abstract

Abstract: 

Semioccluded vocal tract exercises, postures that to enlarge and narrow vocal tract, are used to achieve economic vocal production,reducing vocal fold impact stress and vocal effort, are widely easy application in warm up, training and voice therapy.

Describe and compare self-assessment of voice, vocal quality glottal source and usual fundamental frequency after semioccluded vocal tract exercises (SOVT)  lip trills and hand over mouth in teachers, in Cordoba, 2019

Descriptive, cross-sectional, quasi-experimental study.  Sample: n = 46 female teachers, mean age 38.08, after acceptance of informed consent, 23 participants (n1) performed lip trills exercise (LTE) and 23 (n2) hand over mouth (HOM).
 
To measure self-assessment of the voice, participants completed the visual analog scale (VAS) and self-report of vocal tract discomfort (VTD),  vocal quality was measured through the G parameter (degree voice alteration) of the auditory-perceptual scale. GRBAS, usual fundamental frequency (U-F0) was recorded using the “Voice Tools” software. All measurements were recorded PRE and POST exercises, statistical analysis was performed in infostat 2020.

Both exercises showed changes measurens, in the self-assessment of the voice, for LTE, VAS and VTDi they registered a decrease of -1.83 pts and -6.39 pts respectively, for HOM, VAS decreased -2.13 pts. and VTDi -10.74 pts. For vocal quality, the G parameter for both LTE and HOM, registered a decrease of -0.10 and -0.35 pts respectively. U-F0 values ​​increased, for LTE (+3.71 Hz) and HOM (+9.44 Hz). Significant changes were observed 
in all measures for HOM, VAS (p = <0.0001) VTDi (p = <0.0001) G (p = 0.0052) and U-F0 (p = 0.02).

The lip trills and hand over mouth exercises produced positive changes self-assessment of the voice, vocal quality and usual fundamental frequency of the teachers; these changes were statistically significant only for hand over mouth.