Vocal Fatigue Research Articles

Toward a Consensus Description of Vocal Effort, Vocal Load, Vocal Loading, and Vocal Fatigue.

Purpose The purpose of this document is threefold: (a) review the uses of the terms "vocal fatigue," "vocal effort," "vocal load," and "vocal loading" (as found in the literature) in order to track the occurrence and the related evolution of research; (b) present a "linguistically modeled" definition of the same from the review of literature on the terms; and (c) propose conceptualized definitions of the concepts. Method A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Scientific Electronic Library Online. Four terms ("vocal fatigue," "vocal effort," "vocal load," and "vocal loading"), as well as possible variants, were included in the search, and their usages were compiled into conceptual definitions. Finally, a focus group of eight experts in the field (current authors) worked together to make conceptual connections and proposed consensus definitions. Results The occurrence and frequency of "vocal load," "vocal loading," "vocal effort," and "vocal fatigue" in the literature are presented, and summary definitions are developed. The results indicate that these terms appear to be often interchanged with blurred distinctions. Therefore, the focus group proposes the use of two new terms, "vocal demand" and "vocal demand response," in place of the terms "vocal load" and "vocal loading." We also propose standardized definitions for all four concepts. Conclusion Through a comprehensive literature search, the terms "vocal fatigue," "vocal effort," "vocal load," and "vocal loading" were explored, new terms were proposed, and standardized definitions were presented. Future work should refine these proposed definitions as research continues to address vocal health concerns.

Vocal fatigue in doctors: evaluation with subjective and objective acoustic parameters

Aim The aim of this study was to investigate the voice problems with vocal loading in physicians. Method It was planned to have two groups and thirty participants in each group. The participants were surgeon and nonsurgeon, male and female doctors (first group: 15 female +15 male nonsurgeon; second group: 15 female +15 male surgeon). Volunteers were also separated according to the duration of career, patients seen daily and polyclinic days weekly. Visual analog scale (VAS) scores and voice fatigue index (VFI) version 2 were applied. Objective measurements (F0, jitter, shimmer, harmonics-to-noise ratio) of acoustic evaluation according to the same variables were recorded. Results There was a statistically significant difference in the number of patients seen daily between the groups (<50 patients/day and >50 patients/day) in terms of VFI parts 1 and 2 averages. There was a statistically significant difference between branches (surgical vs. nonsurgical) in terms of VFI part 1 (p = .034). The tiredness of voice was prominent in the physicians who saw more patients and who had more workdays weekly and who were nonsurgeon (VFI part 1). Physical discomfort was more prominent in physicians whose duration of career was long and whose daily patients were more (VFI part 2) (p < .05).The number of patients seen daily and number of days to work did not affect objective acoustic parameters. Being experienced as year in women and being surgeon decreased the mean shimmer values in objective measurements (p < .05). Conclusion Physicians experienced vocal fatigue (VF) in varying degrees according to the differences in working conditions.

The Effect of Superficial Hydration, With or Without Systemic Hydration, on Voice Quality in Future Female Professional Singers

The aim of this study was to describe the effect of superficial hydration, with or without systemic hydration, on voice quality in future female professional singers by assessing acoustic and perceptual parameters of voice production as well as symptoms of vocal fatigue. This is an experimental design study. A study was performed on a sample of 24 female voice majors to ascertain the effect of superficial hydration, with or without systemic hydration, on acoustic parameters and perception of vocal fatigue. The study replicated a prior study by van Wyk et al (2016) with some modifications; we looked at the effect of both systemic and superficial hydration independently and together on voice quality and vocal fatigue. Acoustic measurements including GRBASI, jitter, shimmer, F0 MPT, frequency min and max, intensity min and max, and dysphonia severity index were measured along with perceived vocal fatigue using the Vocal Fatigue Index. A statistically significant increase in MPT values were obtained when comparing pre- and post-test results of the hypo hydrated (P=0.015) and superficial hydration condition (P=0.004). A significant increase in frequency min (Hz) within the hypo hydrated condition was also observed (P=0.019). A significant increase was observed in the intensity min (dB) (P=0.010) and F0 min (Hz) (P=0.002) within the combined hydration condition. Also, when superficial hydration was applied, mean shimmer % (P=0.016), MPT (sec) (P=0.003) and dysphonia severity index (P=0.020) scores increased significantly in a between-group, post-test comparison. A significant reduction in mean intensity max (dB) (P=0.049) and intensity min (dB) (P=0.018) was also observed. This study demonstrates that the use of superficial hydration results in positive outcomes of perceptual parameters of voice quality and symptoms of vocal fatigue in future female professional singers. However, mixed results were observed regarding the acoustic parameters of voice. The superficial hydration data is compelling enough to warrant implementing in a vocal hygiene protocol for singers.

Investigation of Vocal Fatigue Using a Dose-Based Vocal Loading Task.

Vocal loading tasks are often used to investigate the relationship between voice use and vocal fatigue in laboratory settings. The present study investigated the concept of a novel quantitative dose-based vocal loading task for vocal fatigue evaluation. Ten female subjects participated in the study. Voice use was monitored and quantified using an online vocal distance dose calculator during six consecutive 30-min long sessions. Voice quality was evaluated subjectively using the CAPE-V and SAVRa before, between, and after each vocal loading task session. Fatigue-indicative symptoms, such as cough, swallowing, and voice clearance, were recorded. Statistical analysis of the results showed that the overall severity, the roughness, and the strain ratings obtained from CAPE-V obeyed similar trends as the three ratings from the SAVRa. These metrics increased over the first two thirds of the sessions to reach a maximum, and then decreased slightly near the session end. Quantitative metrics obtained from surface neck accelerometer signals were found to obey similar trends. The results consistently showed that an initial adjustment of voice quality was followed by vocal saturation, supporting the effectiveness of the proposed loading task.

Automatic Detection and Classification of Voice Pathology

The result of rough vocal use is commonly voice pathology. Poor vocal practice can result in worse exceptional of voice, vocal fatigue, and vocal stress. This research utilizes glottal signal (signal produced by vocal folds) parameters to help out in identify voice disorders linked to vocal folds pathologies. For each recorded speech, the respective glottal signal is acquired. We select the most relevant as far as pathological / normal discrimination is concerned from the enormous set of parameters obtained. In this paper a new glottal signal parameter Maximum Opening Quotient (MOQ) is calculated to find Pathological / Normal speech discrimination. Using distinct options, the outcomes are compared. Support Vector Machine (SVM) and K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) algorithms are used for classifications. Result shows that the average efficiency rise 2.1% using the newly studied glottal parameter Maximum Opening Quotient (MOQ), which is a major contribution of this research.

Pilot Evaluation of Community-Based Vocal Health Screenings

Community-based health fairs can help identify at-risk populations, improve health literacy, and facilitate access to medical services. No community-based screenings specifically targeting vocal health were identified in the literature. The purpose of this study is to compare the results of community-based vocal health screenings across two populations: a group of community members with unknown risk of voice problems, and a group of actors belonging to a profession with a known increased risk of voice problems. Vocal health screenings were conducted at two free, community-based health fair events in the Los Angeles area. One was open to the public, and one was organized specifically for actors who are members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. A total of 142 community members (94 nonactors and 48 actors) were administered a questionnaire on current vocal health and voice-related quality of life indices (Vocal Handicap Index-10, Vocal Fatigue Index), followed by review and discussion with a laryngologist or a speech pathologist trained in assessment and treatment of voice disorders. A significantly higher percentage of actors (55.1%) reported current voice problems than nonactors (33.0%; χ2=7.122, df=1, P=0.008). Additionally, as measured by the Vocal Fatigue Index 2 subscale, actors reported a greater amount of perceived pain with phonation than the nonactors. Despite over half of the actors reporting current voice concerns, only 7% reported having sought medical advice regarding these concerns. The results of this study suggest that vocal health screenings can help identify persons with voice complaints. However, in order to determine if vocal health screenings help close prevalence-presentation gap and are useful to both medical professionals and participants, more research is needed.

Evaluation of Noise Pollution Levels in Hospitals and its Effects on Staff Health in AL - Najaf City in Iraq

The aim of the study was to determine levels and sources of noise pollution in the hospitals and its effects on staff health in AL - Najaf city in Iraq. The study included measure sound levels in all wards in three hospitals (Al-sadr teaching hospital, Al-hakeem general hospital and Al-zahraa’ teaching hospital) using a digital sound level meter. The present work also examined distribution of symptoms caused by noise in employees of three hospitals and main sources of noise in hospitals by using prepared questionnaire through direct interview in the workplace. The results showed that the average measured A-weighted equivalent continuous level (LAeq) in all hospitals and in different shifts was more than recommended level (20 – 35 dB) of World Health Organization (WHO).The study revealed that the main sources of noise in inside the wards rooms of hospitals Al-Sadr Teaching Hospital, Al-Hakeem General Hospital and Al-Zahraa’ Teaching hospital were “staff conversation” (91%); “maneuver-patient treatment” (83%); “doors opening or closing” (77.5%); “mobile phone ringing and conversation” (76.5%).Moreover, it was observed that (32%) of respondents were headache by noise in hospitals . Moreover, the type of noise health effects that most complained among employees were vocal fatigue (31%), dizziness (30.5%), and feeling sick at the end of the workday (28.5%). This study concluded that the noise level in three hospitals was higher than the WHO rating; therefore, this problem causes raising the noise annoyance on of hospital staff.

Side effects of medications in professional opera singers’ voice: survey findings

&lt;p class="abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background:&lt;/strong&gt; Opera singers are classified under level I, as the elite vocal performers, being the quintessential representatives of this group. As the professional voice users, they meticulously observe any changes relevant to their health, therefore self-reported side effects should be taken under serious consideration. The aim of this study was to initiate the process of gathering general information about the most common side effects of medications taken by the opera singers.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods:&lt;/strong&gt; The study group consisted of 264 professional opera singers, treated in Clarós Clinic in a 35 years period, who were asked to complete a questionnaire. The response rate was 62.1% (n=164) with a male-to-female ratio being 1.27:1 (72 men and 92 women). 46 cases of adverse effects of medicines were updated and analysed. All the responses were collected between February and April 2018. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results:&lt;/strong&gt; The mean age of our study group was 38.3 for females and 49.95 for males, with the range between 18-83 years. The vocal categories were as follows: 39 tenors, 17 baritones, 14 basses, 64 sopranos, 23 mezzo-sopranos and 5 contraltos. Patients with chronic diseases and comorbidities represented the 39.1% of the study group. The most common adverse effect reported was dryness (15.2%). The most frequent voice side effects raised by singers were clearing the throat frequently (14.63%), hoarseness and coarse or scratchy sound (10.37%), and vocal fatigue (7.32%).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions:&lt;/strong&gt; We believe that exploring the subject of vocal side effects of medications in professional opera singers is extremely important.&lt;/p&gt;

The Therapeutic Effects of Straw Phonation on Vocal Fatigue.

Straw phonation has been investigated for its vocal warm-up effects on healthy populations and therapeutic effects on voice patients. The purpose of this article was to determine whether it is beneficial for vocal fatigue. Prospective cohort study METHODS: Twenty-five healthy participants were recruited into 1-hour vocal loading tasks followed by 10-minute vocal rest or straw phonation on 2 different days. Various parameters including phonation threshold pressure (PTP), mean airflow, closed quotient (CQ), current speaking effort level (EFFT), and laryngeal discomfort (DISC) were acquired at baseline, after vocal load, and after the intervention. Increased PTP, EFFT, and DISC were observed after vocal load. Decreased PTP, EFFT, and DISC were then acquired after both vocal rest or straw phonation. More significant improvements were obtained in straw phonation when compared with vocal rest. Additionally, significantly increased mean flow and decreased CQ were obtained after straw phonation when compared to vocal rest. Straw phonation has the potential to adjust aerodynamics within the vocal tract leading to improved vocal efficiency, optimized vibration mode, and attenuated vocal fatigue. This study provided a promising treatment for vocal fatigue that could have wide clinical relevance to voice users with high voice demands. 4 Laryngoscope, 130:E674-E679, 2020.

Spectral and cepstral measures of vocal fatigue in Indian heavy metal vocalists

Introduction: Heavy metal vocalists tend to overuse or differently use their vocal systems for singing, and this could have a negative impact on their voice quality. However, there is limited research concerning the objective measures of vocal changes caused due to vocal fatigue in Indian heavy metal vocalists. Thus, the objectives of the study were to document the differences in the cepstral and spectral parameters of voice before and after vocal fatigue in Indian heavy metal vocalists and to investigate the correlation between the phonatory habits and the cepstral and spectral parameters in postfatigue voice of Indian heavy metal vocalists. Methods: Phonation samples were collected before the vocal performance (pretest) and after the vocal performance (posttest) from 16 vocalists belonging to Indian heavy metal genre. The phonation samples were analyzed, and the spectral and cepstral parameters were extracted in both the conditions. Results: Out of spectral parameters, only H1-H2 was significantly different between the pre- and postfatigue voices. Both the cepstral parameters were noted to be significantly lower after vocal fatigue. Moderate and strong correlations were observed between the phonatory habits and the objective parameters of postfatigue voice in heavy metal vocalists. Conclusion: The cepstral measures of voice were more effective in identifying the vocal fatigue-related voice changes in heavy metal vocalists.

Vocal fatigue in professors at the beginning and end of the school year.

To characterize and to compare the perception of vocal fatigue in professors at the beginning and at the end of the school year. Observational, analytical, prospective cohort study was carried out. A total of 115 professors participated with a mean age of 40 years old, 71 women and 44 men, employees of 28 higher education institutions in the south and southeast regions of Brazil. All answered to the Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI) at the beginning (February or March) and at the end (October or November) of the Brazilian school year. The VFI results for both assessed moments were statistically compared (p<0.05). The professors' mean scores obtained in the factors of tiredness of voice and avoidance of voice use (p<0.001) and improvement of symptoms with rest (p=0.001) increased at the end of the school year. Professors reported higher perception of vocal fatigue at the end of the school year, which influenced the avoidance of voice use and improvement of symptoms with the rest.

Laryngostroboscopy and voice evaluation in adult patients with Parkinson s disease

Introduction: Most patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) present tongue, larynx and pharynx disorders, affecting voice and speech. Objective: To evaluate the laryngeal manifestations of PD. Methods: Evaluation of 18 PD patients conducted between January 2011 and December 2012. Patients were evaluated through videolaryngostroboscopy, auditory perceptual analysis of the voice using the GIRBAS scale, acoustic voice analysis, and application of the Vocal Handicap Index (VHI) questionnaire. Results: Dysphonia and vocal fatigue were referred by 72.22 and 33.3% of the patients, respectively, whereas changes during laryngoscopy were verified in 94.44%. The medians of the acoustic voice analysis and the VHI self-assessment questionnaire were unchanged. The median of the VHI emotional domain was higher among patients who presented open phase closure, with statistically significant difference (p=0.029). Conclusion: Patients with PD present laryngeal and voice changes.

Main reasons that lead popular-music singing teachers to seek speech-language pathology assistance for their students.

To identify the parameters that influences the decision of singing teachers to seek speech-language pathology (SLP) assistance for their students. The study sample comprised 48 popular-music singing teachers, male and female, aged 37.96 years on average. The participants responded to a 10 closed-question questionnaire prepared by the researchers via the SurveyMonkey platform. The questions referred to the reasons why singing teachers seek SLP assistance, as well as to the knowledge of these teachers regarding chronic hoarseness as a risk symptom to identify other lesions in the larynx. Singing teachers seek SLP assistance for their students in the presence of hoarseness complaints and impaired speech sound articulation. The singing teachers assessed did not consider vocal tiredness complaint as a determining factor for referral to SLP evaluation. Most study participants were not aware that a hoarseness complaint for over 15 days can be indicative of larynx tumor. There was no influence of the variables age and time of professional experience in the referral to SLP assistance. Most of the singing teachers who participated in this study sought SLP assistance for their students when they presented hoarseness complaints and impaired speech sound articulation.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Evaluation of the Ability to Sing Easily (EASE) for Kannada-Speaking Carnatic Classical Singers

The present study aimed to cross-culturally adapt and validate the Evaluation of the Ability to Sing Easily (EASE) into Kannada for the benefit of Carnatic classical singers. Following a standard translation procedure, the original English version was translated to develop a prefinal EASE-K version. This was further field-tested on 12 Carnatic singers to obtain the final EASE-K version. Upon validating the same on 104 Carnatic singers, intercorrelation between EASE-K subscales- Vocal Fatigue (VF) and Pathologic Risk Indicators (PRI) were assessed using the Spearman correlation coefficient. The internal consistency of the subscales was obtained based on the Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Nonparametric tests were carried out to study the effect of age and gender on EASE-K subscales. Further, the raw scores of the English version were compared to the EASE-K. Spearman correlation coefficient indicated a statistically significant positive correlation (P < .01) between the two subscales (r=.745). Each scale showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha was .84). Test-retest reliability carried on 12 singers indicated an excellent reliability for the subscales. Nonparametric tests indicated no significant effect of age and gender on the subscales of EASE-K (P > .05). Comparison across the original and EASE-K revealed significant differences for both VF (P=.02) and PRI (P=.00) subscales. Current findings indicate that EASE-K is a reliable and valid tool that can be used to document the subtle changes in voice in healthy Carnatic classical singers. Further, the current tool can be used to study the effect of vocal loading across different singing styles.

Ovine Vocal Fold Tissue Fatigue Response to Accumulated, Large-Amplitude Vibration Exposure at Phonatory Frequencies.

Purpose The contribution of tissue mechanical response to vocal fatigue is poorly understood. This study investigated the fatigue response of vocal fold tissues to large-amplitude vibration exposure at phonatory frequencies, using an ex vivo ovine model. Method Twelve sheep vocal fold mucosal specimens were subjected to sinusoidal, simple-shear deformation for prolonged cycles, under a large but physiological shear strain (46%) in a frequency range of 100-230 Hz. The duration of shear varied from a critical vibration exposure limit of 1,040 s to 4 times the limit (4,160 s). Tissue viscoelastic response was quantified by the elastic shear modulus (G'), viscous shear modulus (G″), and damping ratio (G″/G'). Results Distinct response patterns were observed at different frequencies. G' and G″ generally decreased with vibration exposure at 100 Hz, whereas they generally increased with vibration exposure at 200 and 230 Hz. Statistically significant differences were found for G″ increasing with vibration exposure at 200 Hz and damping ratio decreasing with vibration exposure at 200 Hz. Significant increases with frequency were also found for all viscoelastic functions. Results suggested that the contribution of tissue viscoelastic response to vocal fatigue could be highly frequency dependent. In particular, increases in G″ with vibration exposure could lead to high phonation threshold pressures and difficulty sustaining phonation at higher frequencies following prolonged vocalization. Conclusion These preliminary findings may help us better understand vocal fatigue and recovery and should be corroborated by studies with human vocal fold tissues.

Prätestung des deutschen Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI-D) – transkulturelle Übersetzung und Kreuzvalidierung

In clinical routine, vocal fatigue is acommon symptom in patients with dysphonia. The aim of this study was to conduct atranscultural translation of the Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI), astandardized subjective questionnaire. Furthermore, pretesting and prevalidation were performed in 20subjects, with comparison to the Voice Handicap Index (VHI‑9i) and the Vocal Tract Discomfort Scale (VTD). The translation, content review, and pretest of the German Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI-D) was divided into four sections: 1.transcultural translation, 2.expert voting on comprehensibility, 3.test of comprehensibility through cognitive interviews in 15participants, 4.pretest of the VFI‑D with cross validation compared to VHI‑9i and VTD in 20subjects. This process corresponds to current standards for transcultural translation and adaptation of questionnaires. According to expert voting and cognitive testing, the VFI‑D is correct and comprehensible (intercoder reliability κ = 0.66). The factor analysis revealed three distinguishable parts: VFI‑D part1 correlates strongly with VHI‑9i and VTD, VFI‑D part2 with VTD only (rho ≈ 0.800 each), and VFI‑D part3 correlates only weakly with VHI‑9i and VTD (rho ≈ 0.585). Thus, convergence and divergence validity are proven. The first German version of the VFI‑D might be abase for further research on symptoms, causes, and treatment options in vocal fatigue. Particularly patients in voice-intensive professions may benefit.

Vocal and Nonvocal Habits among Vedic Chanters

Objectives: The objective of the present study was to explore the voice concerns and vocal and nonvocal habits of Vedic chanters. Participants and Method: A cross-sectional design was used to study 200 Vedic chanters using a 36-item questionnaire. This questionnaire was developed and administered to explore their voice concerns and vocal and nonvocal habits. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the findings and K-means cluster analysis was carried out to identify clusters concerning voice quality and influence of habits. Results: The majority of Vedic chanters were involved in certain vocal habits such as use of loud voice while chanting and frequent throat clearing. Further, approximately half of the chanters expressed a concern towards their voice, while a vast majority experienced vocal fatigue. Cluster analysis helped in identification of 4 clusters: Vedic chanters with (1) good lifestyle and good voice characteristics (n = 107), (2) good lifestyle but bad voice characteristics (n = 15), (2) poor lifestyle and good voice characteristics (n = 51), and (4) poor lifestyle leading to bad voice characteristics (n = 27). Conclusion: The findings of the present study provide useful information on voice concern and vocal and nonvocal habits among a unique population of individuals. The current study of Vedic chanters highlights the need to have a detailed understanding of their specific voice usage, demands, and voice characteristics.

Self-Assessment of Vocal Fatigue in Muscle Tension Dysphonia and Vocal Nodules: A Preliminary Analysis of the Discriminatory Potential of the Croatian Adaptation of the Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI-C)

In this paper the authors hypothesize that the intensity of subjective experience of vocal fatigue (VF) potentially reflects primary (hyper) functional vocal disorders (primary muscle tension dysphonia - MTD) differently than structural vocal disorders of functional etiology (MTD type 2a). Given the reported benefit of self-evaluation in the quantification of VF, the goal of this study was to test the potential of the Croatian adaptation of the Vocal Fatigue Index questionnaire (VFI-C) in order to show different VF intensities for the two above-mentioned diagnoses of vocal disorders. In total, 69 vocal nonprofessionals of both sexes (average age 41.5 years, ±13.8 years), with phoniatrically determined vocal disorders of varying etiology and 50 vocal nonprofessionals of both sexes without vocal disorders (average age 44 years, ±14.7 years), recruited at otorhinolaryngological clinics at medical centers in Zagreb and Split, completed the VFI-C. Psychometric characteristics of the VFI-C were determined by calculating Cronbach's alpha and the intraclass correlation coefficient , and by employing factor analysis, and the nonparametrical Mann-Whitney U test. Considering the favorable psychometric data, a descriptive analysis of the VF self-evaluation results was done for groups of participants with MTD diagnoses (10 people with an average age of 33.4, ±5.9 years) and vocal nodules ( 21 people with an average age of 37.3, ±12.8 years). A comparison was made of the average results of the MTD and vocal nodules groups using the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test. Given that perceived VF was found to be greater in the MTD group, it appears that the self-evaluation of VF has a discriminatory potential for different vocal difficulties, which justifies the further verification of the complementary usefulness of VF gradation in clinical descriptions of different vocal disorders.

The Effects of a Vocal Loading Task on the Acoustic and Electromyographic Measurements of Vocal Fatigue

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a vocal loading task on submandibular muscular activity and acoustic measures of vocal function. Surface electromyography (sEMG) directly assessed muscle activation related to extrinsic laryngeal muscles, and these findings were compared to the acoustic measurements of cepstral peak prominence, low to high spectral ratio, semitone range, and amplitude reflecting the function of intrinsic laryngeal muscles. These measurements were taken from 14 healthy, young adults of the Texas Christian University student population before and after reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone for 30 minutes at a volume of at least 75 decibels (dB). Results indicated consistent trends in which acoustic measurement showed more periodic vocal fold movement and reduced vocal range, and sEMG measurement showed reduced muscle activation. An elevated acoustic amplitude suggested that increasing vocal intensity could be a compensatory strategy for individuals with vocal fatigue, but further study is required to test this theory in a larger sample size.

Voice and Lifestyle Behaviors of Speech-Language Pathology Students: Impact of History Gathering Method on Self-Reported Data

ObjectivesThis study described voice use and lifestyle information from student speech-language pathologists (SLP) and assessed the impact of history gathering method on the acquired data. MethodsOne hundred sixty-two SLP students completed a detailed history form and estimated voice and life style parameters at study intake and subsequently tracked the same parameters daily for three consecutive weeks. Nonparametric statistical comparisons were applied to assess differences in estimates at intake versus the 3-week log. ResultsVoice problems diagnosed by a physician or SLP were reported by 11% of the students. A similar percentage reported frequent loud talking and heavy occupational voice demands beyond clinical training use. Furthermore, high stress was reported by 49%, frequent anxiety by 53%, and depression by 17%. Comparing data from study intake relative to the 3-week log, SLP students statistically significantly overestimated speaking time, and underestimated singing, second hand smoke exposure time, and hours of sleep. Additionally, they overestimated water intake and daily stress, and underestimated caffeine and alcohol intake, at the study onset versus the log. The experience of vocal fatigue was common within the 3-week log, but how a student identified at study intake on this parameter (experiencing it frequently or not) did not differentiate how many days of vocal fatigue were reported in 3 weeks. ConclusionsSLP students engage in some voice use and lifestyle behaviors that place them at risk for voice problems. The method of soliciting information about the voice and lifestyle of SLP students impacted the information obtained. Optimal methods of gathering accurate and reliable clinical history and voice us data are needed.