Immediate Effects of Two Semi-occluded Vocal Tract Exercises

Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Status: Completed

Conditions: Voice

Treatments: Other: Tongue trill; Other: Resonance tube

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03413033

012-210-18

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study aims to observe the physiological effects of two different Semi-occluded vocal tract (SOVT) exercises in the larynx when they are executed by individuals with constant vocal effort and without vocal pathology.

Full description

SOVT is a voice education or rehabilitation method that involves different postures which partially occlude or elongate the vocal tract. It causes a change in the vibration pattern of the vocal folds. SOVT postures have been postulated to produce changes in contact quotient (CQ), measured with electroglottograph (EGG). This study aims to observe the physiological effects of two different SOVT exercises in larynx when they are executed by people with constant vocal effort and without vocal pathology. In order to do so, EGG will be performed before and after 43 volunteers execute two SOVT exercises (tongue trill and resonance tubes). The following parameter will be captured: CQ. A t-paired test will be performed to compare pre and post-test information. Furthermore, a generalized estimating equation will be fit to find the effects of each exercise in the subjects.

This protocol was modified due to different administrative issues related to the use of the stroboscopy (one of the assesment tools previosly considered), so that stroboscopy was removed from the protocol.

Enrollment: 43 patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 25 to 45 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• No current or past history of voice disorders.
• No current or past voice training or therapy.
• Vocal use larger than 20 hours per week.

Exclusion criteria

• Laryngeal pathology during execution of stroboscopy.
• Flu-like symptoms during measures.
• Trouble with execution of semi-occluded vocal tract exercises.
• Allergy to electrodes.

Trial design

43 participants in 1 patient group

Group 1

Description:

43 participants will produce the vowel /a:/ three times as baseline during 5 seconds in habitual, comfortable speaking pitch and loudness. Thereafter, participants will produce series of a semi-occluded vocal tract exercises (resonance tube or lip trill). Afterwards, subjects will produce the vowel /a:/ three times once again. Electroglottographic signals will be captured before and after each exercise. A 15 minutes voice rest will be taken between exercises by all subjects.

Treatment:

Other: Resonance tube

Other: Tongue trill