Immediate effect of the application of transcutaneous electrical nerve (TENS) associated with vocal exercises in dysphonic women

• Grant number: 18/21069-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2019
• End date: December 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Speech Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Kelly Cristina Alves Silverio
• Grantee: Gabriela Campos Moura
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia de Bauru (FOB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Bauru , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the immediate effect of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) associated with vocal exercises and the opposite situation on voice quality, self-reported sensation and musculoskeletal pain symptoms in women with behavioral dysphonia. Methodology: Thirty women between the ages of 18 and 50 will be studied. After signing the Informed Consent Term, the individuals will answer questions about age, profession, possible vocal and laryngeal symptoms and musculoskeletal pain symptoms. Then, they will go through a voice record with vowel /a/, counting from 1 to 20 and spontaneous speech for later perceptual-auditory and acoustic analysis and will pick up the sequence of application: TENS follows by vocal exercises (1) or vocal exercises follow by TENS (2). TENS will be low frequency (10Hz), with symmetrical biphasic quadratic pulse, 200 ms duration phase, and motor threshold intensity (Dualpex 961 - Quark equipment), with electrodes positioned in the region of the trapezius muscle - upper fibers and bilaterally submandibular region. The vocal exercises will objectives to relax the laryngeal muscles, to stimulate the soft phonation, mucosal wave and resonance balance, lasting 20 minutes as well as TENS. The data will be statistically analyzed in order to compare the parameters evaluated before and after the application of TENS and vocal exercises and the opposite situation (comparing 1 and 2 groups).