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.