Immediate and Cumulative Effects of Meditation in Voice Therapy Using Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR)


Objective: Numerous studies have documented the benefits of meditation and mindfulness for anxiety reduction and vocal function improvement. However, the application of immersive virtual reality (IVR) for these purposes in voice therapy has yet to be explored. This study aims to assess the immediate and cumulative effects of guided meditation through IVR on anxiety reduction and vocal function in patients with voice disorders. Methods: This prospective exploratory involved 30 individuals with common voice disorders, divided into three groups (n=10 each): (1) IVR-based meditation, (2) meditation alone, and (3) control group with no meditation. Inclusion Criteria included a State Anxiety Inventory (STAI Y-1) score >37, Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) score >11, Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI) Part 1 ≥ 24, Part 2 ≥ to 7, Part 3 ≤ 7, and Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-V) score >10. Exclusion Criteria were based on unmet inclusion requirements and patients with any medical contraindication. Outcome measures include pre- and post- intervention analysis of STAI Y-1 and Y-2 long forms of anxiety, VHI-10, VFI for vocal effort, as well as objective acoustic analysis using Harmonics-to-Noise Ratio (HNR), Cepstral Peak Prominence Smoothed (CPPS), and the Acoustic Vocal Quality Index (AVQI). Secondary outcomes determined with pre- and post- IVR meditation in each session using the STAI Y-1 short form, heart rate (bpm), Maximum Phonation Time (MPT) and s-z ratio. Qualitative observations across subjects were also recorded to note further insights, and any potentially confounding variables. Results: A significant number of participants reported improvements in voice, emotional and physical states. There were statistically significant improvements in sessional STAI-Y1 short form scores, and MPT duration. Acoustic measures pre- and post- intervention showed variability across participants. Significant reductions in both state and trait anxiety were observed within subjects following the complete therapy protocols, as indicated by STAI Y-1 and Y-2 long-form scores. Conclusion: For a majority of patients, 4 consecutive sessions of voice therapy beginning with a 10-12 min guided meditation in IVR, led to self-reported improvements in the ability to more readily achieve a relaxed state (self-regulation), and further led to improvement in perceived vocal function. Although acoustic measures did not consistently show significant improvements across all patients, qualitative data indicate a positive cumulative effect of IVR-based meditation for voice therapy over time. These findings support a further investigation through randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes to substantiate the therapeutic role of IVR in meditation and mindfulness

Bradley
Brittany
Ümit
Hoff
Palmer Carbone
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