| Abstract | – Purpose.
The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of a vocal warm-up program, which focuses on improving the dynamics of the intrinsic and extrinsic laryngeal muscles, on the voice quality of healthy people over 65 years old, in addition, to gain more insight into the day-to-day voice-related problems in people over 65 years old. In addition, we also considered what the ideal length of time might be for warming up the voice, 15 or 30 minutes.
– Methods.
A randomized pretest-posttest control group design was used, in which 38 people over 65 years of age were randomly divided into four groups (two experimental groups and two control groups). The first experimental group performed a well-defined vocal warm-up program for 30 minutes and the second experimental group did the same program for 15 minutes. The first control group read a text aloud for 30 minutes and the second control group read this text for 15 minutes. Objective voice measurements [aerodynamic measurements, voice range profile, acoustic measurements, dysphonia severity index (DSI) and acoustic voice quality index (AVQI)] were performed. In addition, subjective
measurements were also performed using the GRBASI score [with the CAPE-V using a visual analog scale (VAS)]. Following parameters were assessed: overall severity (grade), roughness, breathiness, asthenia, strain and instability. Finally, subjects completed five visual analogue scales gauging forcefulness, vocal fatigue, projection, hoarseness/roughness, and strain, which were presented both before and after completing the vocal warm-up program.
– Results.
After performing a vocal warm-up program in people over 65 years of age, no significant differences were found in objective and perceptual vocal parameters in any of the four groups. Clinically, however, a slight evolution was visible in the DSI scores of experimental group 1, where vocal exercises were performed for 30 minutes. We also saw an improvement in maximum phonation time (MPT) in experimental group 1 and control groups 1 and 2, with the clearest improvement seen in experimental and control group 1. Finally, we also saw a clinically positive trend (an improvement) in all subjective voice parameters, namely the GRBASI score (using the CAPE-V).
– Conclusions.
Clinically, there are some implications that the objective voice quality of the elderly improves in the short term through voice warming exercises. Thus, the results of this study suggested that 30 min of warming up gave more positive outcomes. Further research is needed to determine whether repetition of the vocal warm-up program can ensure that improved objective voice quality is maintained and whether or not it also produces improved subjective voice quality.
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