Supreetha Lachmanaik, Jayakumar Thirunavukkarasu
Department of Speech-Language Sciences, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Mysuru, Karnataka, India.
Department of Speech-Language Sciences, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Mysuru, Karnataka, India.
J Voice. 2024 Oct 22. doi: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2024.09.031.
Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) work with individuals with communication disorders. Their work can strain their voice, resulting in dysphonia, adversely affecting their career and quality of life. Laryngeal hydration can prevent vocal damage and improve vocal performance in SLPs. However, there is limited research on the effects of laryngeal hydration in SLPs using longitudinal studies. Hence, the present study aims to assess the longitudinal impact of laryngeal hydration in SLPs using multiparametric acoustic and self-perceptual measures.
The research method lasted for 6 consecutive days, with each day lasting 2-3 hours for each participant. Ten SLPs, aged 18-30 years, were recruited. On alternate days, laryngeal hydration treatment (systemic, surface, and combined hydration) was given while participants performed vocal loading tasks. Prerecording and postrecording of the Acoustic Voice Quality Index (AVQI) and its consistent parameters (smoothed cepstral peak prominence [CPPs], harmonics-to-noise ratio [HNR], shimmer%, shimmer local, long-term average spectrum [LTAS] slope, and LTAS tilt) and self-perceptual measures (perceived phonatory effort [PPE], perceived vocal tiredness [PVT]) were taken. Kruskal-Wallis test and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used to assess vocal changes in SLPs with laryngeal hydration.
No significant differences in overall AVQI scores were found between pretests and posttests for all types of laryngeal hydration treatment. However, there was a significant increase in CPPs and the LTAS slope for combined hydration and a decrease in HNR with an increase in shimmer local for systemic hydration in the posttest compared with the pretest. Only systemic hydration in the posttest showed a rise in PPE and PVT compared with the pretest, compared with surface and combined hydration.
Voice outcome measures of the present study demonstrated the immediate beneficial effects of surface hydration and combined hydration in SLPs by preserving voice quality during vocal loading. Systemic hydration had less of an immediate impact on voice quality. This study suggests empirical evidence for laryngeal hydration, which can enhance vocal performance and preserve voice quality in SLPs.
言语语言病理学家（SLP）为有沟通障碍的个体提供服务。他们的工作会使嗓音疲劳，导致发声困难，对其职业和生活质量产生不利影响。喉部补水可以预防嗓音损伤并改善言语语言病理学家的发声表现。然而，关于言语语言病理学家喉部补水效果的纵向研究有限。因此，本研究旨在使用多参数声学和自我感知测量方法评估喉部补水对言语语言病理学家的纵向影响。
研究方法持续6天，每位参与者每天持续2 - 3小时。招募了10名年龄在18 - 30岁的言语语言病理学家。在交替的日子里，当参与者进行嗓音负荷任务时给予喉部补水治疗（全身补水、表面补水和联合补水）。对声学嗓音质量指数（AVQI）及其一致参数（平滑谐波峰值突出度[CPPs]、谐波噪声比[HNR]、闪烁百分比、局部闪烁、长期平均谱[LTAS]斜率和LTAS倾斜度）以及自我感知测量指标（感知发声努力[PPE]、感知嗓音疲劳[PVT]）进行记录前和记录后的测量。使用Kruskal - Wallis检验和Wilcoxon符号秩检验评估喉部补水对言语语言病理学家嗓音变化的影响。
在所有类型的喉部补水治疗中，测试前和测试后的总体AVQI评分没有显著差异。然而，与测试前相比，联合补水的CPPs和LTAS斜率显著增加，全身补水的测试后HNR降低且局部闪烁增加。与表面补水和联合补水相比，只有全身补水在测试后与测试前相比显示出PPE和PVT升高。
本研究的嗓音结果测量表明，表面补水和联合补水通过在嗓音负荷期间保持嗓音质量，对言语语言病理学家具有即时有益效果。全身补水对嗓音质量的即时影响较小。本研究为喉部补水提供了实证依据，喉部补水可以提高言语语言病理学家的发声表现并保持嗓音质量。
