Acoustic parameters of vocal quality before and after the semi-occluded vocal tract exercises

• Grant number: 17/15467-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2018
• End date: December 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Speech Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Ana Carolina Constantini
• Grantee: Diego Henrique da Cruz Martinho
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: The semioccluded vocal tract exercises (SOVTE) are usual in the management and in prevention of dysphonia as well as in vocal warming for professional use of voice. In general, these exercises improve the voice quality which can be evaluated in an individual perceptual-auditory analysis or acoustic analysis with softwares or can also be considered a self-perception of the evaluated subject. Objectives: To investigate the acoustic parameters after and before accomplish, by singers of an amateur stage choir, of three semioccluded vocal tract exercises: phonation in a tube of lower resistance (LaxVox®), finger kazoo and straw phonation. Methods: Extraction and analysis of acoustic parameters of 156 speech samples (before and after execution of the three exercises in 26 subjects) previously collected. We want to acoustically analyze the effects on chained speech, sustained vowel and sung voice. Standards are analyzed using Praat® software. Expected Results: It is expected that the effects of the exercises will be quantitatively obtained and confirm the results of the vocal self-evaluation, demonstrating a more important improvement of group A in the execution of the exercise with straw fonation and the G group in phonation in tube LaxVox®. (AU)