Summary
This study investigated the relation of symptoms of vocal fatigue to acoustic variables
reflecting type of voice production and the effects of vocal loading. Seventy-nine
female primary school teachers volunteered as subjects. Before and after a working
day, (1) a 1-minute text reading sample was recorded at habitual loudness and loudly
(as in large classroom), (2) a prolonged phonation on [a:] was recorded at habitual
speaking pitch and loudness, and (3) a questionnaire about voice quality, ease, or
difficulty of phonation and tiredness of throat was completed. The samples were analyzed
for average fundamental frequency (F0), sound pressure level (SPL), and phonation
type reflecting alpha ratio (SPL [1–5 kHz]−SPL [50 Hz–1 kHz]). The vowel samples were additionally analyzed for perturbation (jitter and shimmer).
After a working day, F0, SPL, and alpha ratio were higher, jitter and shimmer values
were lower, and more tiredness of throat was reported. The average levels of the acoustic
parameters did not correlate with the symptoms. Increase in jitter and mean F0 in
loud reading correlated with tiredness of throat. The results seem to suggest that,
at least among experienced vocal professionals, voice production type had little relevance
from the point of view of vocal fatigue reported. Differences in the acoustic parameters
after a vocally loading working day mainly seem to reflect increased muscle activity
as a consequence of vocal loading.
Key Words
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: November 29, 2006
Accepted:
October 3,
2006
Footnotes
Paper presented at the Annual Symposium Care of Professional Voice in Philadelphia, June 2006.
Identification
Copyright
© 2008 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
