Modificações vocais e laríngeas ocasionadas pelo som basal

Abstract

The present study aimed at examining both vocal and laryngeal changes caused by the vocal fry in five female subjects without vocal complaints, signs nor symptoms, with no report of previous voice therapy, and free of inflammatory or allergic processes at the moment of assessment. Initially, a digital recording of sustained emission of /a/ vowel and a recording of a videostroboscopic examination of larynx were performed. Soon after this procedure, the subjects did the vocal fry, in three series of 15 repetitions, with a 30-second interval of passive rest between the series, when the subjects should remain in absolute silence. Immediately after that, both the laryngeal examination and the recording of the vocal emission with the same phonatory task were carried out again. Both laryngeal and vocal data found prior to and after the technique were submitted to acoustic, perceptive-auditive, and videostroboscopic analyses. The perceptive-auditive analysis as well as the videostroboscopic one were performed by six judges (three speech and language pathologists especialized in voice, and three otorhinolaryngologist, respectively). The acoustic analysis was generated by the Multi Speech program of Kay Elemetrics. The analysis of results showed the following effects of the vocal fry: improved vibration of the mucosa of the vocal folds, particularly as to width and symmetry of vibration; improved or sustained voice type and pitch; improved or sustained parameters related to jitter and shimmer as well as the index that suggests glottic noise, suggesting decreased noise; improved index of mild phonation, suggesting greater balance of the degree of coaptation strength and completion of vocal folds closure; sustained or worsened vocal quality and resonance focus, with laryngopharyngeal prevalence; decreased fundamental frequency; and increased frequency variation and width, suggesting phonatory unstableness. Thus, in this study, it was concluded that the vocal fry had a positive effect on the vibration of the mucosa of the vocal folds andon the voice noise as well, and a negative effect on the voice resonance and stability.