Analysis of the immediate effect of the high-frequency oral oscillation exercise on individuals with and without vocal symptoms.

Abstract

Purpose: to verify the immediate effects of high-frequency oral oscillation using the Classic Shaker®, on acoustic, perceptual-auditory and vocal self-perception measures, in adults with and without vocal complaints.

Methods: 50 individuals were allocated into four groups - men with vocal symptoms, men without vocal symptoms, women with vocal symptoms and women without vocal symptoms. The participants completed the Vocal Symptoms Scale, the self-assessment of vocal discomfort, and were subjected to voice recording before and after performing the tested exercise, which consisted of blowing the Shaker® - Classic model - mouthpiece, while emitting the vowel U, for three minutes. The recordings were submitted to acoustic analysis and perceptual-auditory analysis. Paired T-test and Wilcoxon test were used, significance level of 5%.

Results: after the exercise, there was a decrease in jitter in the groups of men with symptoms and in shimmer in men without symptoms. Women with symptoms showed an increase in fundamental frequency, harmonic-to-noise ratio, CPP, and CPPS values and a decrease in jitter; women without symptoms showed an increase in GNE. The perceptual-auditory evaluation did not indicate changes after carrying out the exercise. A reduction in vocal discomfort was observed in all groups after the exercise.

Conclusion: The high-frequency oral oscillation exercise using the Shaker® was able to promote improvements in acoustic parameters and a reduction in self-reported vocal discomfort in the four groups evaluated.