Vocal Techniques by Dynamic Magnetic Resonance: Morphophysiological Adjustments in the Larynx and Vocal Tract


OBJECTIVE: To analyze, using dynamic real-time MRI (dMRI), the morphophysiological adjustments of five vocal techniques on the larynx and vocal tract in vocally healthy women. METHOD: Vocal techniques tradicionally used in clinical practice were investigated in ten vocally healthy women, speech-language pathologists, aged from 21 to 42 years. The selected vocal techniques were nasal sound, tongue trill, high-pitched blowing with vowel /u/, vocal fry, and prolonged /b/; they all were performed during the dMRI exam. The image acquisition was programmed for the mid-sagittal plane using 3.0T device. The acquisition time for the rest position and for each vocal techinique in the dMRI was 14s; simultaneously, the audio was recorded. Measurements of vertical, length, area, and angle were taken. The morphologic measurements obtained from the vocal techniques were compared with those at the rest position. RESULTS: The nasal sound technique produced a larger oropharyngeal area, a smaller angle formed by the posterior pharyngeal wall (PPW) and the vocal fold (VF), and a larger angle between the vertical reference line on the mandible and the hyoid. The tongue trill exercise promoted a lower mandible position, a larger oropharyngeal area, smaller laryngeal vestibule area, and a smaller angle between the PPW and the VF. The high-pitched blowing exercise produced a lower mandible position, a lower position of the hyioid, a higher position of the VF, a larger oropharyngeal area, a smaller laryngeal vestibule area, and a smaller angle formed by the PPW and the VF. The vocal fry technique promoted a lower mandible position, a lower position of the hyioid, a larger oropharyngeal area, a smaller laryngeal vestibule area, and a smaller angle between the PPW and the VF. Finally, the prolonged /b/ technique produced lower positions of the mandible, hyoid, and vocal folds, a greater vocal tract length, larger oropharyngeal and laryngeal vestibule areas, and a larger angle between the vertical reference line on the mandible and the hyoid bone. CONCLUSION: The vocal techniques promoted significantly different morphophysiological adjustments in the larynx and vocal tract compared to the rest position. The prolonged /b/ technique produced a greater number of morphophysiological changes.

Rosiane
Noemi
Mara
Marco
Johan
Bruno
Arlindo
Marcelo Cavenaghi
Benedito Herbert
Guilherme
Leonardo
Hélio
Yamasaki
De Biase
Behlau
Guzmán
Sundberg
Silva
Montagnoli
Silva
De Souza
Brandão
Lopes
Yamashita