Summary
Purpose
The main objective of the present systematic review is to quantify the relationship
between the room acoustics and self-reported vocal fatigue.
Methods
A comprehensive literature search and systematic review were conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE,
Science Direct, Web of Science, EBSCO, and Scopus databases. Two inclusion criteria
were defined: (1) description of a relationship between the room acoustics and self-reported
vocal fatigue; and (2) reporting of raw data and/or a statistic of the association
between the variables. Risk of bias in the included studies was assessed via the Quality
Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies Effective Public Health Practice Project.
The occurrences and frequencies of the most common parameters in the literature are
presented, and a quantitative summary of their relationships is reported.
Results
In total, 12 publications met the inclusion criteria. The most relevant measures of
self-reported vocal fatigue were the Vocal Fatigue Index (n = 3), Vocal Signs and
Symptoms Questionnaire (n = 1), and vocal fatigue visual analog scales (n = 2). The
most relevant room acoustic parameters include noise conditions (n = 6) and reverberation
time (n = 2). The relationships between the room acoustic parameters and self-reported
vocal fatigue are quantified and reported while maintaining the concepts stated in
the original articles and outlining their similarities.
Conclusion
Overall, background noise and reverberation time were determined to be the most significant
independent variables associated with self-reported vocal fatigue. A primary limitation
of the evidence was inconsistent measures of self-reported vocal fatigue.
Key words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 19, 2023
Accepted:
December 27,
2022
Publication stage
In Press Corrected ProofIdentification
Copyright
© 2022 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
