Immediate effects of the semi-occluded vocal tract exercise with LaxVox ?? tube in singers

摘要

Purpose The purpose of this study was to analyze the immediate effects of the semi-occluded vocal tract exercise (SOVTE) using the LaxVox ?? tube in singers. Methods Participants were 23 singers, classical singing students, aged 18 to 47 years (mean age = 27.2 years). First, data was collected through the application of a demographic questionnaire and the recording of sustained emission - vowel /?μ/ , counting 1-10, and a music section from the participantsa?? current repertoire. After that, the participants were instructed and performed the SOVTE using the LaxVox ?? tube for three minutes. Finally, the same vocal samples were collected immediately after SOVTE performance and the singers responded to a questionnaire on their perception regarding vocal changes after the exercise. The vocal samples were analyzed by referees (speech-language pathologists and singing teachers) and by means of acoustic analysis. Results Most of the singers reported improved voice post-exercise in both tasks - speech and singing. Regarding the perceptual assessment (sustained vowel, speech, and singing), the referees found no difference between pre- and post-exercise emissions. The acoustic analysis of the sustained vowel showed increased Fundamental Frequency (F 0 ) and reduction of the Glottal to Noise Excitation (GNE) ratio post-exercise. Conclusion The semi-occluded vocal tract exercise with LaxVox ?? tube promotes immediate positive effects on the self-assessment and acoustic analysis of voice in professional singers without vocal complains. No immediate significant changes were observed with respect to auditory-perceptual evaluation of speech and singing.