Vocal Tract of Dysphonic and Normal Women Pre and Post Lax Vox Technique®: Two-dimensional analysis to Acoustical Simulation with Physical Models

• Grant number: 12/17390-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): July 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): June 30, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Speech Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Domingos Hiroshi Tsuji
• Grantee: Rosiane Kimiko Yamasaki Odagima
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: Vocal tract shape in patients with vocal nodules can change over time due to long term persistence of hyperfunctional muscular adjustments. Lax Vox technique® produces biomechanical modifications of the phonatory system to reduce vocal folds collision forces and widen the vocal tract. Although the technique is recommended for vocal nodules, the literature on the effects of this technique in dysphonic patients is scarce. Morphometric and acoustical studies, pre and post technique, can be performed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and acoustic simulations with physical vocal tract models. Objectives: 1. to measure the vocal tract shape, on phonation, of normal and dysphonic women with vocal nodules, before and after application of the Lax Voice technique®, through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); 2. to develop physical vocal tract models, before and after technique; 3. to verify the acoustic effects of the vocal tract morphology in both groups by simulations performed with the physical vocal tract models. Method: The sample will be comprised of 10 women normal e 10 with vocal nodules, age range from 18 to 40 years old. Patients will be submitted to MRI, during phonation, before and 3 minutes after having performed the Lax Vox technique®. Linear, area and volume measurements will be included in the morphometric analysis. The physical models, developed through the MRI and rapid prototyping technique, will be excited by a horn driver. The acoustic parameters will be the spectral envelopes and formant peaks. Preliminary Results: This pilot reports the findings obtained from one patient with vocal nodules. It was possible to observe changes in the vocal tract shape as an effect from the technique.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

YAMASAKI, ROSIANE; MURANO, EMI Z.; GEBRIM, ELOISA; HACHIYA, ADRIANA; MONTAGNOLI, ARLINDO; BEHLAU, MARA; TSUJI, DOMINGOS. Vocal Tract Adjustments of Dysphonic and Non-Dysphonic Women Pre- and Post-Flexible Resonance Tube in Water Exercise: A Quantitative MRI Study. JOURNAL OF VOICE, v. 31, n. 4, p. 442-454, JUL 2017. (12/17390-3)

YAMASAKI, ROSIANE; MONTAGNOLI, ARLINDO; MURANO, EMI Z.; GEBRIM, ELOISA; HACHIYA, ADRIANA; LOPES DA SILVA, JORGE VICENTE; BEHLAU, MARA; TSUJI, DOMINGOS. Perturbation Measurements on the Degree of Naturalness of Synthesized Vowels. JOURNAL OF VOICE, v. 31, n. 3, MAY 2017. (12/17390-3)