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| 2. |
- Beka, Ervin, et al.
(author)
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Voice Changes Without Laryngeal Nerve Alterations After Thyroidectomy: The Need For Prospective Trials - A Review Study
- 2024
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In: Journal of Voice. - : MOSBY-ELSEVIER. - 0892-1997 .- 1873-4588. ; 38:1, s. 231-238
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background. Thyroidectomy is a commonly performed surgical procedure that is offered for different thyroid pathologies. The most frequent complication after total thyroidectomy is transient or permanent hypoparathyroidism followed by transient or permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy. Patients may experience voice impairment despite intact laryngeal nerve function. These patients are of special interest because they experience subjective symptoms which are difficult to measure and therefore to treat. Summary. The Voice Handicap Index (VHI) and VHI-10 are the most commonly used subjective questionnaires. Their results correlate with objective findings. Female sex, in particular after menopause, is a dominant factor for developing voice impairment after thyroidectomy. The extent of neck surgery and the weight and volume of the removed thyroid correlates directly with both objective and subjective voice impairment after surgery. Videolaryngostroboscopy should be considered to examine vocal cord pathologies in this patient group. Surprisingly, there are no studies showing that speech and voice therapy are beneficial for patients with voice alterations but with intact laryngeal nerves. Conclusions. While recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) paralysis can be evaluated by objective exams postoperatively, we are still left with the issue of possible partial or complete external branch of superior laryngeal nerve (EBSLN) injury. It is therefore quite difficult to segregate neural (RLN and EBSLN) and non -neural voice change populations, regardless of the method of literature evaluation. Perhaps patients' perspectives on how they experience voice functionality should play a superior role in deciding which patients should be investigated further with laryngoscopy, acoustic or perceptual analysis, and which patients should be offered treatment.
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| 3. |
- Bojner Horwitz, Eva, et al.
(author)
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Choir singers without rehearsals and concerts? : A questionnaire study on perceived losses from restricting choral singing during the covid-19 pandemic.
- 2023
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In: Journal of Voice. - : Elsevier. - 0892-1997 .- 1873-4588. ; 37:1, s. 146.e19-146.e27
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Choir singing is an activity that engages individuals all over the world with a broad demographic representation. Both qualitative and quantitative studies have examined the benefits of the activity but very few have examined the effects when someone loses access to it and stops singing.Objectives: Examining the governmental and organisational responses precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, we asked what happens when a choir singer loses all of their routines associated with regular participation in choir singing.Materials and Methods: One national choir organization in Sweden (n = 3163) and one in Norway (n = 1881) were approached with a short survey. This comprised questions relating to the issue “what do you as a choir singer misses the most?” Each participant was asked to rate the importance of a number of elements that pertain to the experience of choir singing.Results: The social aspect of singing emerged as having the strongest weight in terms of perceived loss that is, it was the element that the participants missed the most. Professional singers report that they miss the aesthetic experiences, flow, and all the physical aspects (physical training, voice training, and breathing training) to a greater degree as compared to reports from the amateurs. The importance of aesthetic experiences and physical components appeared to rise with increasing number of years that an individual had engaged with choir singing.Conclusion: In the Scandinavian setting, the social aspect has a stronger weight than the other components and this seemed to be more significant in Norway compared to Sweden.
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| 4. |
- Cai, Huanchen, et al.
(author)
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Effects on Voice Quality of Thyroidectomy : A Qualitative and Quantitative Study Using Voice Maps
- 2024
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In: Journal of Voice. - : Elsevier. - 0892-1997 .- 1873-4588.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives: This study aims to explore the effects of thyroidectomy—a surgical intervention involving the removal of the thyroid gland—on voice quality, as represented by acoustic and electroglottographic measures. Given the thyroid gland's proximity to the inferior and superior laryngeal nerves, thyroidectomy carries a potential risk of affecting vocal function. While earlier studies have documented effects on the voice range, few studies have looked at voice quality after thyroidectomy. Since voice quality effects could manifest in many ways, that a priori are unknown, we wish to apply an exploratory approach that collects many data points from several metrics.Methods: A voice-mapping analysis paradigm was applied retrospectively on a corpus of spoken and sung sentences produced by patients who had thyroid surgery. Voice quality changes were assessed objectively for 57 patients prior to surgery and 2 months after surgery, by making comparative voice maps, pre- and post-intervention, of six acoustic and electroglottographic (EGG) metrics.Results: After thyroidectomy, statistically significant changes consistent with a worsening of voice quality were observed in most metrics. For all individual metrics, however, the effect sizes were too small to be clinically relevant. Statistical clustering of the metrics helped to clarify the nature of these changes. While partial thyroidectomy demonstrated greater uniformity than did total thyroidectomy, the type of perioperative damage had no discernible impact on voice quality.ConclusionsChanges in voice quality after thyroidectomy were related mostly to increased phonatory instability in both the acoustic and EGG metrics. Clustered voice metrics exhibited a higher correlation to voice complaints than did individual voice metrics.
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| 5. |
- Cavalcanti, Julio Cesar, 1992-, et al.
(author)
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Multiparametric Analysis of Speaking Fundamental Frequency in Genetically Related Speakers Using Different Speech Materials : Some Forensic Implications
- 2024
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In: Journal of Voice. - : Elsevier BV. - 0892-1997 .- 1873-4588. ; 38:1, s. 243.e11-243.e29
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To assess the speaker-discriminatory potential of a set of fundamental frequency estimates in intraidentical twin pair comparisons and cross-pair comparisons (i.e., among all speakers). Participants: A total of 20 Brazilian Portuguese speakers of the same dialect, namely 10 male identical twin pairs aged between 19 and 35, were recruited. Method: the participants were recorded directly through professional microphones while taking part in a spontaneous dialogue over mobile phones. Acoustic measurements were performed in connected speech samples, and in lengthened vowels, at least 160 ms long produced during spontaneous speech. Results: f0 baseline, central tendency, and extreme values were found mostly discriminatory in intra-twin pairand cross-pair comparisons. These were also the estimates displaying the largest effect sizes. Overall, only three identical twins were found statistically different regarding their f0 patterns in connected speech, but not for lengthened vowel-based f0 metrics. Estimates off 0 variation and modulation were found the least discriminatory across speakers, which may signal the control of speaking style and dialect on dynamic patterns off 0. Concerning system performance, the base value off 0 (f0 baseline) was found the most reliable metric, displaying the lowest equal error rate (EER). Conclusions: the outcomes suggest that, although identical twins were very closely related regarding their f0 patterns, some pairs could still be differentiated acoustically, only in connected speech. Such findings reinforce the relevance of analyzing long-term f0 metrics for speaker comparison purposes, with particular consideration to f0 baseline. Furthermore, f0 differences across subjects were suggested as more expressive in connected speech than in lengthened vowels.
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| 7. |
- Dueppen, Abigail J., et al.
(author)
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Suitability of English Language Internet-Based Information for Voice Disorders
- 2020
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In: Journal of Voice. - : MOSBY-ELSEVIER. - 0892-1997 .- 1873-4588. ; 34:6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose. The study was aimed at assessing the suitability of English-language Internet health information related to vocal hygiene, vocal health, and prevention of voice disorders. We also examined the relation between suitability, readability, and quality of Internet health information.. Method. Suitability of 77 websites from Dueppen et al(9) was assessed using the Suitability Assessment of Materials tool. Information about readability and quality of the websites were extracted from Dueppen et al.(9) Results. The overall converted suitability percent score of all 77 websites was 66.4%, which represents "adequate" suitability. Individual websites were rated as superior (ie, 44.2%) adequate (ie, 51.9%), and not suitable (ie, 3.9%). No relation was found between website origin and the suitability ratings. The inter-rater reliability of the Suitability Assessment of Materials ratings for overall scale was found to be good. The suitability of websites had a moderate correlation with readability measures, but no significant correlation was observed between the suitability and quality of websites. Conclusions. The study results suggest that overall suitability of websites on vocal hygiene are adequate. However, many websites may require improvements in some elements (eg, literacy demand, graphics, and learning stimulation). Readability, quality, and suitability are important components in the accessibility of health information for people with different health conditions. Hence, improvements in these elements are expected to improve the understanding and actionability of people with voice issues.
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| 8. |
- Ekberg, Mattias, 1987-, et al.
(author)
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Acoustic Features Distinguishing Emotions in Swedish Speech.
- 2023
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In: Journal of Voice. - : Elsevier. - 0892-1997 .- 1873-4588.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Few studies have examined which acoustic features of speech can be used to distinguish between different emotions, and how combinations of acoustic parameters contribute to identification of emotions. The aim of the present study was to investigate which acoustic parameters in Swedish speech are most important for differentiation between, and identification of, the emotions anger, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise in Swedish sentences. One-way ANOVAs were used to compare acoustic parameters between the emotions and both simple and multiple logistic regression models were used to examine the contribution of different acoustic parameters to differentiation between emotions. Results showed differences between emotions for several acoustic parameters in Swedish speech: surprise was the most distinct emotion, with significant differences compared to the other emotions across a range of acoustic parameters, while anger and happiness did not differ from each other on any parameter. The logistic regression models showed that fear was the best-predicted emotion while happiness was most difficult to predict. Frequency- and spectral-balance-related parameters were best at predicting fear. Amplitude- and temporal-related parameters were most important for surprise, while a combination of frequency-, amplitude- and spectral balance-related parameters are important for sadness. Assuming that there are similarities between acoustic models and how listeners infer emotions in speech, results suggest that individuals with hearing loss, who lack abilities of frequency detection, may compared to normal hearing individuals have difficulties in identifying fear in Swedish speech. Since happiness and fear relied primarily on amplitude- and spectral-balance-related parameters, detection of them are probably facilitated more by hearing aid use.
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| 9. |
- Eriksson, Hedvig, et al.
(author)
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Voice Outcomes Following Head-Lift Exercises in Head and Neck Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Study.
- 2023
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In: Journal of voice : official journal of the Voice Foundation. - : Elsevier BV. - 1873-4588. ; 37:2, s. 226-233
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This prospective randomized study aimed to investigate whether patients with dysphagia after treatment for head and neck cancer improve their vocal function from doing head lift exercises (Shaker's exercise).Patients were randomized into an intervention group (n=24) or a control group (n=26). Patients in the intervention group performed the head lift exercise three times a day for 8 weeks. At baseline and at follow-up after 8 weeks, participants' voices were evaluated perceptually with the Grade-Roughness-Breathiness-Asthenia-Strain (GRBAS) scale. Vocal fry (VF) was also perceptually evaluated and patients filled in the Voice Handicap Index (VHI).Patients in the intervention group were perceptually evaluated as having less roughness and vocal fry in their voices at follow-up compared to the control group. There were no statistically significant changes between baseline and follow-up neither in the intervention nor the control group regarding GRBAS, VF, or VHI. Neither were there any statistically significant differences within the groups when results on the perceptual evaluations at baseline and follow-up were compared.The voices of the participants in the intervention group were slightly better than the voices of the participants in the control group with less roughness and VF at follow-up. However, no improvement in the VHI or the remaining GRBAS variables was found. Therefore, this study can only give cautious support to the head lift exercise as a method for improving the voice of patients with dysphagia after treatment for head and neck cancer.
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| 10. |
- Fornhammar, L., et al.
(author)
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Measuring Voice Effects of Vibrato-Free and Ingressive Singing : A Study of Phonation Threshold Pressures
- 2022
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In: Journal of Voice. - : Elsevier BV. - 0892-1997 .- 1873-4588. ; 36:4, s. 479-486
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Phonation threshold pressure (PTP), showing the lowest subglottal pressure producing vocal fold vibration, has been found useful for documenting various effects of phonatory conditions. The need for such documentation is relevant also to the teaching of singing, particularly in view of vocal demands raised in some contemporary as well as early music compositions. The aim of the present study was to test the usefulness of PTP measurement for evaluating phonatory effects of vibrato-free and ingressive singing in professional singers. Methods: PTP was measured at a middle, a high and a low pitch in two female and two male singers before and after recording voice range profiles (i) in habitual technique, ie, with vibrato, (ii) in vibrato-free, and (iii) in ingressive phonation. Effects on vocal fold status were examined by videolaryngostroboscopy. Results: After careful instruction of the singers, no problems were found in applying the PTP method. In some singers videolaryngostroboscopy showed effects after the experiment, eg, in terms of increased mucus and more complete glottal closure. After ingressive phonation PTP increased substantially at high pitch in one singer but changed marginally in the other singers. Conclusion: The method seems useful for assessing and interpreting effects of singing in different styles and as a part of voice diagnostics. Therefore, it seems worthwhile to automatize PTP measurement.
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