Efecto inmediato de dos ejercicios con tracto vocal semiocluido en el contacto glótico de usuarios ocupacionales de la voz / Immediate effect of two semi-occluded vocal tract exercises in glottal contact of occupational voice users

Introducción. Los docentes son usuarios ocupacionales de la voz con alto riesgo de desarrollar patologías vocales a causa de su labor. Para enfrentar esta proble-mática, suelen usarse ejercicios con tracto vocal semiocluido (TVSO), estrategia de educación/rehabilitación empleada para generar un cambio en el patrón de vibración de los pliegues vocales, minimizando el riesgo de lesión vocal al reducir el estrés de colisión al que se someten los tejidos. Diversos reportes han indicado que este tratamiento tiene efectos en el cociente de cierre (CQ), medida indirecta del estrés de colisión.Objetivo. Examinar el efecto fisiológico de dos ejercicios con TVSO en la actividad laríngea de profesores con esfuerzo vocal constante pero sin patología vocal. Metodología. Se registraron muestras de 43 profesores antes, durante y después de la realización de dos ejercicios con TVSO (vibración lingual y fonación en tubos). Las muestras de electroglotografía se analizaron para obtener el CQ. Resultados y conclusión. Se observó una diferencia significativa al comparar los valores del CQ antes y durante la realización de ambos ejercicios. No se encontraron cambios en este parámetro después de ejecutar la actividad. Estos hallazgos concuer-dan con reportes previos en los cuales el CQ tiende a aumentar durante la fonación en tubos; contrariamente, la realización de la vibración lingual tiende a decrecer el valor del CQ. Es posible que este comportamiento se deba a los mecanismos biome-cánicos particulares de cada ejercicio

Introduction. Teachers are occupational voice users with high risk of developing vocal pathologies due to their work. To face this situation, it is common the use of semi-occluded vocal tract (SOVT) exercises, a strategy of voice education/rehabil-itation implemented to induce a change in the vibration pattern of the vocal folds, mitigating, therefore, the risk of vocal lesion by reducing the collision stress applied to tissues. A variety of reports have indicated that this treatment has effects in the closed quotient (CQ), an indirect measure of collision stress. Aim. The purpose of this study was to examine the physiological effect of two dif-ferent SOVT exercises in larynx activity of teachers with constant vocal effort but without vocal pathology. Methods. 43 samples of teachers were recorded before, during and after executing two SOVT exercises (tongue trill and tube phonation). Electroglottographic samples were analyzed in order to obtain CQ. Results and conclusion. Both exercises had a significant difference of CQ scores when before and during conditions were compared. Any difference was found on this parameter after executing the activity. These findings agree with previous reports where CQ tends to increase during phonation through resonance tubes; on the con-trary, execution of tongue trill tends to decrease CQ values. This behavior might be because of the particular biomechanical mechanisms of each exercise

Vocal tract physiology and its MRI evaluation / Fisiología del tracto vocal y su evaluación por resonancia magnética

Introduction. The rapid technological evolution in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has recently offered a great opportunity for the analysis of voice production.Objectives. This article is aimed to describe main physiological principles at the base of voice production (in particular of vocal tract), and an overview about liter-ature on MRI of the vocal tract. This is presented in order to analyze both present results and future perspectives.Method. A narrative review was performed by searching the MeSH terms "vocal tract" and "MRI" in Pub Med database. Then, the obtained studies were subse-quently selected by relevancy.Results. Main fields described in literature concern technical feasibility and op-timization of MRI sequences, modifications of vocal tract in vowel or articulatory phonetics, modifications of vocal tract in singing, 3D reproduction of vocal tract and segmentation, and describing vocal tract in pathological conditions.Conclusions. MRI is potentially the best method to study the vocal tract physi-ology during voice production. Most recent studies have achieved good results in representation of changes in the vocal tract during emission of vowels and singing. Further developments in MR technique are necessary to allow an equally detailed study of faster movements that participate in the articulation of speaking, which will allow fascinating perspectives in clinical use.

Introducción. La rápida evolución tecnológica en la resonancia magnética (MRI) ha ofrecido recientemente una gran oportunidad para el análisis de la producción de voz.Objetivos. Este artículo tiene como objetivo describir los principales principios fisiológicos en la base de la producción de la voz (en particular, del tracto vocal) y una descripción general de la literatura sobre resonancia magnética del tracto vocal. Esto se presenta con el fin de analizar tanto los resultados actuales como las perspectivas futuras.Método. Se realizó una revisión narrativa mediante la búsqueda de los términos MeSH "tracto vocal" y "MRI" en la base de datos PubMed. Los estudios obtenidos se seleccionaron posteriormente por relevancia.Resultados. Los campos principales descritos en la literatura se refieren a la viabi-lidad técnica y optimización de secuencias de resonancia magnética, modificaciones del tracto vocal en una vocal o fonética articulatoria, modificaciones del tracto vocal en el canto, reproducción 3D del tracto vocal y segmentación y descripción del tracto vocal en condiciones patológicas.Conclusiones. La resonancia magnética es potencialmente el mejor método para estudiar la fisiología del tracto vocal en el momento de la producción de la voz. Los estudios más recientes han obtenido buenos resultados en la representación de cambios en el tracto vocal durante la emisión de vocales y el canto. Se necesitan más desarrollos en la técnica de RM para permitir un estudio igualmente detallado de los movimientos más rápidos que participan en la articulación del habla, lo que permi-tirá perspectivas fascinantes en el uso clínico.

Anatomy and Physiology in Vocal Technique

The anatomy of the voice is not limited to the region of the larynx. Practically all body systems affect the voice. The larynx receives the greatest attention because it is the most sensitive and expressive component of the vocal mechanism, but anatomic interactions throughout the singer's body must be considered in making the singing voice. The physiology of voice production is exceedingly complex. The voice requires interactions among the power source, the oscillator, and the resonator. The review of functional anatomy and physiology in vocal technique would provide information on the terminology, components, and workings of the voice to permit an understanding of practical, every clinical problems and their solutions. The otolaryngologist, speech language pathologist, singing or acting teacher, singer, and actor would have benefit greatly from more extensive study of voice science.

Características da fonetografia em mulheres com equilíbrio dentofacial / Characteristics of phonetography in women with dentofacial balance

OBJETIVO: Caracterizar o perfil da extensão vocal de mulheres com equilíbrio dentofacial, por meio da fonetografia. MÉTODOS: Fizeram parte desse estudo 22 estudantes do gênero feminino, com idades entre 18 e 29 anos (x = 20±2 anos), falantes do Português Brasileiro, sem alteração ou treino vocal, que apresentaram tipo de face padrão I e harmonia dento-oclusal. Foi aplicado um formulário específico de auto-resposta e também foi realizada avaliação antropométrica da face, avaliação dento-oclusal, exame da fonetografia e análise acústica da frequência fundamental habitual da voz das participantes, realizados no período pós-menstrual. RESULTADOS: Os valores encontrados para os diferentes parâmetros analisados foram: frequência fundamental mínima: x= 167,32±22,27 Hz ou x= 40,09±2,37 st, frequência fundamental máxima: x= 908,45±210,93 Hz ou x= 69,09±4,13 st, extensão vocal: x= 29,00±3,85 st, intensidade mínima: x= 69,32±4,07 dB, intensidade máxima: x= 113,14±6,10 dB, extensão dinâmica máxima: x= 3,91±5,71 dB, área do fonetograma: x=709,50±182,92 dB.st ou x=31,93±8,23 cm², frequência fundamental habitual da vogal a: x= 211,00±22,55 Hz. CONCLUSÃO: No presente estudo foram obtidas as intensidades mínimas e máximas para as distintas frequências alcançadas pelas participantes, bem como a frequência fundamental habitual, estabelecendo os valores de referência quanto ao perfil da extensão vocal de mulheres brasileiras sem alterações vocais e com equilíbrio dentofacial.

PURPOSE: To characterize the vocal extension profile of women with dentofacial balance using phonetography. METHODS: Took part of this study 22 female students with ages between 18 and 29 years (x = 20±2 years), all Brazilian Portuguese speakers, without vocal disorders or vocal training, who presented balanced face pattern I and dental-occlusal harmony. The subjects answered a specific self-response form, and were submitted to anthropometric assessment of the face, dental-occlusal evaluation, phonetography examination, and acoustic analysis of the usual fundamental frequency of the participants' voices, carried out in the post-menstrual period. RESULTS: The values found for the different parameters analyzed were: minimum fundamental frequency: x= 167,32±22,27 Hz or x= 40,09±2,37 st, maximum fundamental frequency: x= 908,45±210,93 Hz or x= 69,09±4,13 st, voice extension: x= 29,00±3,85 st, minimum intensity: x= 69,32±4,07 dB, maximum intensity: x= 113,14±6,10 dB, maximum dynamic extension: x= 3,91±5,71 dB, phonetogram area: x= 709,50 ±182,92 dB.st ou x= 31,93±8,23 cm², usual fundamental frequency of the vowel a: x= 211,00±22,55 Hz. CONCLUSION: The present study obtained the minimum and maximum intensity levels for different frequencies achieved by the participants, as well as the usual fundamental frequency, establishing reference values for the vocal extension profile of Brazilian woman without voice disorders and with dentofacial balance.