Purpose: This study sought to determine whether personality traits related to extraversion and impulsivity are more strongly associated with singers with nodules compared to vocally healthy singers and to understand the relationship between personality and the types of daily speaking voice use. Method: Weeklong ambulatory voice recordings and…

Purpose: To advance our current knowledge of singer physiology by using ultrasonography in combination with acoustic measures to compare physiological differences between musical theater (MT) and opera (OP) singers under controlled phonation conditions. Primary objectives addressed in this study were (a) to determine if differences in hyolaryngeal…

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the immediate effect on a singer's voice of a flexible silicone tube immersed in water combined with ascending and descending vocalise scales compared with ascending and descending vocalise scales alone. Method: A pre- and post-intervention quasi-experimental study was conducted. Thirty adult singers between 18…

Purpose: Physically active adults have experienced training benefits from fish oil--derived omega-3 fatty acid (FO n3), which may also be of benefit to singers. The purpose of this research study was to determine if self-reported vocal adaptations and body composition changes occur in singers following FO n3 supplementation in conjunction with a…

Purpose: This descriptive cohort pilot study, using a convenience sample, examined whether evidence from vocal function measures, auditory-perceptual ratings, and/or endoscopic signs of aging supported singing in senior chorales as a possible intervention to preserve the speaking voice in aging adults. Method: Thirteen singers and five nonsinging…

Purpose: Singers are vocal athletes having specific demands from their voice and require special consideration during voice evaluation. Presently, there is a lack of standards for acoustic evaluation in them. The aim of the present study was to systematically review the available literature on the acoustic analysis of voice in singers. Method: A…

Purpose: The aims of this study were to analyze and characterize the "irrintzi" (a folkloric shout emitted in a single breath used by the Basque people) acoustically and to describe the mechanism by which it is emitted. Method: Thirty-six sound samples of 12 female volunteers were analyzed. Acoustic analysis included primarily…

Purpose: Difficulties with intonation and vibrato control during the menstrual cycle have been reported by singers; however, this phenomenon has not yet been systematically investigated. Method: A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial assessing effects of the menstrual cycle and use of a combined oral contraceptive pill (OCP) on pitch…

Purpose: Resonance tube phonation in water (RTPW) or in air is a voice therapy method successfully used for treatment of several voice pathologies. Its effect on the voice has not been thoroughly studied. This investigation analyzes the effects of RTPW on collision and phonation threshold pressures (CTP and PTP), the lowest subglottal pressure…

Purpose: Recently, efforts have been made to investigate the vocal tract using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Due to technical limitations, teeth were omitted in many previous studies on vocal tract acoustics. However, the knowledge of how teeth influence vocal tract acoustics might be important in order to estimate the necessity of…

Purpose: This study investigated the influence of fundamental frequency (F0) and sound pressure level (SPL) range on respiratory behavior in classical singing. Method: Five trained female singers performed an 8-s messa di voce (a crescendo and decrescendo on one F0) across their musical F0 range. Lung volume (LV) change was estimated, and…

Purpose: This study examined alterations in ventilation and speech characteristics as well as perceived dyspnea during submaximal aerobic exercise tasks. Method: Twelve healthy participants completed aerobic exercise-only and simultaneous speaking and aerobic exercise tasks at 50% and 75% of their maximum oxygen consumption (VO[subscript 2] max).…

Purpose: This investigation was undertaken to examine the status of the velopharyngeal (VP) port during classical singing. Method: Using aeromechanical instrumentation, nasal airflow (mL/s), oral pressure (cm H[subscript 2]O), and VP orifice area estimates (cm[squared]) were studied in 10 classically trained sopranos during singing and speaking.…

Purpose: Maximum flow declination rate (MFDR) in the glottis is known to correlate strongly with vocal intensity in voicing. This declination, or negative slope on the glottal airflow waveform, is in part attributable to the maximum area declination rate (MADR) and in part to the overall inertia of the air column of the vocal tract (lungs to…