Journal of Voice最新文献

{"title":"Physiological Responses to an Experimental Vocal Demand Task and Immediate Effects of Recovery Interventions Across Multiple Domains.","authors":"Göksu Tarakçı, Richard Zraick, Büşra Çınar, Ayşe Buse Saraç, Ümit Daşdöğen, İrem Gönüldaş, Ahmet Konrot, Mehmet Emin Kalaylı","doi":"10.1016/j.jvoice.2026.09.038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2026.09.038","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To examine whether experimentally increasing vocal demand with a Vocal Loading Task (VLT) elicits a coordinated vocal demand response across multiple physiological domains and whether this response is differentially modulated by immediate recovery interventions.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study was designed as a prospective, repeated-measures crossover study. Twenty-nine normophonic female participants (age range: 18-25 years) completed a 1-hour VLT across four sessions (48-hour intervals), each followed by one of four interventions: transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), therapeutic ultrasound (US), semi-occluded vocal tract exercises (SOVTE), or vocal rest. Assessments at baseline (T0), post loading (T1), and post intervention (T2) included perceived vocal effort, electroglottographic measures (contact quotient [CQ], fundamental frequency [Fo]), anterior neck thermography, and muscle biomechanics. Data were analyzed using a two-way repeated-measures ANOVA.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Increasing vocal demand with the VLT was associated with consistent increases in perceived effort, Fo, temperature, and muscle tone, along with decreased CQ, indicating a coordinated vocal demand response across multiple physiological domains. All interventions reduced perceived effort, TENS and US produced greater reductions than SOVTE and vocal rest. Muscle tone decreased following intervention, whereas stiffness showed limited responsiveness. CQ patterns varied by intervention, with TENS and US trending toward baseline and SOVTE associated with further decreases.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Increasing vocal demand with a VLT elicited a reproducible, multidimensional vocal demand response across perceptual, vibratory, thermal, and biomechanical domains. Recovery appeared to involve multiple, partially independent physiological processes that were differentially associated with the intervention applied. These findings support the use of multidimensional, non-invasive assessment for investigating vocal demand responses and recovery under controlled experimental conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":49954,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Voice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149207432","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Effects of Preservation and Structural Rhinoplasty on Voice Parameters.","authors":"Karahan Kara, Mustafa Çağrı Derici, Erdem Kaypak","doi":"10.1016/j.jvoice.2026.09.057","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2026.09.057","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To compare acoustic voice changes after preservation and structural rhinoplasty in women undergoing surgery for aesthetic indications.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>Retrospective comparative study with repeated pre- and postoperative measurements.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Forty women aged 20-30 years underwent preservation rhinoplasty (n = 20) or structural rhinoplasty with spreader graft reconstruction (n = 20). No preoperative nasal obstruction or laryngeal pathology was detected. Archived sustained /a/ recordings from one week preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively were analyzed in Praat for fundamental frequency (f_o), local jitter, local shimmer, and harmonic-to-noise ratio (HNR). Smoothed cepstral peak prominence (CPPS) was added as an exploratory outcome. Within-group changes and between-group change scores were compared.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In the preservation group, f_o remained stable (214.26 ± 8.97 vs 213.93 ± 8.90 Hz; P = 0.220), whereas jitter decreased from 0.327 ± 0.066% to 0.281 ± 0.065%, shimmer decreased from 2.05 ± 0.35% to 1.85 ± 0.36%, and HNR increased from 24.91 ± 1.48 to 26.19 ± 1.43 dB (all P < 0.001). In the structural group, f_o also remained stable (220.29 ± 11.16 vs 220.29 ± 11.50 Hz; P = 0.985), while jitter decreased from 0.342 ± 0.086% to 0.304 ± 0.084%, shimmer decreased from 1.99 ± 0.37% to 1.82 ± 0.38%, and HNR increased from 24.66 ± 1.37 to 25.86 ± 1.49 dB (all P < 0.001). CPPS did not change significantly: preservation, 16.31 ± 1.20 vs 16.24 ± 1.41 dB (P = 0.543); structural, 17.65 ± 1.15 vs 17.54 ± 1.35 dB (P = 0.337). Preoperative CPPS was higher in the structural group (P < 0.001). The jitter reduction was greater with preservation (-0.046 ± 0.012% vs -0.038 ± 0.011%; P = 0.032). Changes in f_o (P = 0.383), shimmer (P = 0.096), HNR (P = 0.457), and CPPS (P = 0.826) did not differ significantly between groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Both techniques were associated with changes in perturbation and HNR, with no significant CPPS change. The small isolated jitter difference remains exploratory; the findings do not establish overall voice quality improvement or superiority of either technique.</p>","PeriodicalId":49954,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Voice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149207521","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pain and Sensitization in Voice Patients with Fibromyalgia: A Preliminary Report.","authors":"Pelin Yuksel, Seunghyun Baek, Robert T Sataloff","doi":"10.1016/j.jvoice.2026.09.049","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2026.09.049","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain condition characterized by altered pain processing through various modes of sensitization. Although voice disorders have been reported in patients with FM, little is known about how FM influences the presentation and management of laryngeal pain. This case series describes patients with FM with specific presentations of voice-related pain during evaluation and treatment of voice disorders.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective chart review was conducted of adult patients with diagnoses of both FM and at least one voice disorder treated at a tertiary laryngology practice. Five patients were identified, and their clinical presentation, treatment course, and outcomes were reviewed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Patients presented with persistent laryngeal and related pain in conjunction with a variety of laryngeal pathologies; across cases, pain severity appeared disproportionate to objective laryngeal findings. Pain often persisted despite improvement in voice quality following treatment. Some patients also demonstrated amplified pain postoperatively or limited tolerance of standard voice therapy.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These cases suggest that FM and altered pain processing may influence symptom burden and outcomes in patients with voice disorders. Recognition of the role of fibromyalgia and sensitization in voice disorders may support multidisciplinary management and individualized treatment strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":49954,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Voice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149185600","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Short-Term Evaluation of Laryngeal Double Valve Function in Phonation in Vocally Healthy Adults Using Electroglottographic and Acoustic Analyses.","authors":"Paula-Marie Dammer, Karl-Heinz Stier, Martin Landzettel, Ben Barsties von Latoszek","doi":"10.1016/j.jvoice.2026.09.048","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2026.09.048","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The laryngeal double valve function (LDVF) principle posits that various laryngeal sphincter systems (eg, vocal folds and ventricular folds) are differently engaged in activities requiring breath control. The vocal folds may act as an inspiratory valve, while the ventricular folds with the aryepiglottic structures function as an expiratory valve. The present study aimed to investigate LDVF-oriented exercises used in voice therapy, with the goal of examining the LDVF principle and assessing the extent to which objective vocal changes can be detected through electroglottographic (EGG) and acoustic measures in vocally healthy adults.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In a within-subject design, 40 vocally healthy participants performed two LDVF-oriented isometric bar exercises intended to emphasize first an under-pressure (UP) thoraco-petal body activity and second an over-pressure (OP) thoraco-fugal body activity. EGG was recorded at vocal fold and at ventricular fold levels assessing contact quotient and open quotient. Acoustic measures included harmonics-to-noise-ratio, 5-point pitch-perturbation quotient, smoothed cepstral peak prominence, glottal-to-noise excitation ratio and relative fundamental frequency. Overall tests and paired comparisons were performed, and effect sizes were evaluated with Cohen's d.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>No significant differences were found, for example, between UP- and OP-oriented exercises for both EGG measures at vocal fold or at ventricular fold levels, and no preintervention versus postintervention effects were detected (all P > 0.05, negligible to small effect sizes). Furthermore, none of the acoustic parameters showed significant UP-OP differences or pre-post effects (all P > 0.05; small effect sizes).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>LDVF-oriented exercises did not produce measurable changes in EGG measures or acoustic voice quality parameters in vocally healthy adults. These findings provide no evidence for detectable LDVF principle-related effects under the present experimental conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":49954,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Voice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149197207","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Understanding Teachers' Perspectives on Voice Relative to their Occupation.","authors":"Sara G Davis, Sara A Charney","doi":"10.1016/j.jvoice.2026.09.040","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2026.09.040","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The aim of this study was to characterize a large teacher population's vocal health-related practices, voice use requirements and patterns, prevalence of previous voice-related training(s), and their desire for future (voice-related) training. Another aim was to assess the interest in a future study centered on developing a voice protocol specific to the teacher population.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 164 teachers (preschool through 12th grade) in the United States completed an anonymous 28-item online questionnaire addressing voice care, voice use, vocal demands, vocal difficulties, health-seeking behaviors, prior voice-related training, and perceptions and interest regarding involvement in voice-related training.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 164 teacher respondents, 96% reported more than 4 hours of daily voice use and 85% identified as occupational voice users. Voice-related symptoms were common, with over 85% reporting teaching-related hoarseness, 82% endorsing vocal strain, effort, and/or fatigue following a day of teaching, and 73% attributing vocal fatigue directly to their profession. Only 13% of those experiencing hoarseness sought medical evaluation. Most respondents had never received formal vocal health training (80%); however, 91% believed such training is important for educators, 73% expressed interest in attending a training program, and 57% indicated interest in participating in future teacher-specific vocal health research.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Teachers experience substantial vocal demands and a high prevalence of voice-related symptoms but receive limited formal education regarding vocal health/well-being. Overall, our study characterizes teachers' perspectives regarding occupational voice use and reveals an opportunity for voice-related medical professionals to assume an important role in educating and advocating for this population of occupational voice users. The study findings support the development of a teacher-specific voice protocol to serve as a preventative training tool to help mitigate the risk of dysphonia-related symptoms and promote vocal longevity throughout the teacher's career.</p>","PeriodicalId":49954,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Voice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149197356","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Use of Nebulization for Voice Across Different Vocal Demands: A Scoping Review.","authors":"Beatriz Raz Franco de Santana Romeo, Rafaela Fernanda Amaral, Bruna Rainho Rocha, Vanessa Veis Ribeiro, Mara Behlau","doi":"10.1016/j.jvoice.2026.09.033","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2026.09.033","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To map the available evidence on nebulization and other hydration strategies for voice across different vocal demands, focusing on intervention characteristics, outcomes, and reported effects.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>Scoping review.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology and reported according to PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The protocol was registered on the Open Science Framework (DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/T8XVE). Searches were performed in PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library without restrictions on year or language. Studies involving adults and investigating nebulization or hydration strategies for voice were included. Data extraction covered study characteristics, intervention protocols, and vocal outcomes. Results were synthesized using descriptive analysis and mapping of outcomes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Ten studies were included. Most studies were quasi-experimental and involved healthy participants. The most frequent interventions were surface hydration (40%), followed by nebulization with saline solution (20%), systemic hydration (20%), and combined strategies (20%). Acoustic outcomes were the most frequently used (90%), followed by auditory perceptual measures (60%) and aerodynamic measures (40%). Nebulization with saline solution demonstrated the most consistent positive results, particularly in acoustic and perceptual outcomes. Surface hydration strategies also showed predominantly positive effects, while systemic hydration presented less consistent findings. Aerodynamic outcomes were more variable across studies. Overall, the results were heterogeneous and influenced by differences in intervention protocols, solution types, and device characteristics.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The available evidence suggests that saline nebulization and surface hydration may be associated with improvements in selected vocal outcomes, particularly acoustic and perceptual measures. However, these findings should be interpreted cautiously because of the small samples, methodological limitations, and substantial heterogeneity across studies. Current evidence is insufficient to establish an optimal nebulization protocol or determine its efficacy across different vocal populations. Future controlled studies should prioritize standardized intervention protocols, detailed characterization of aerosol delivery, and multidimensional outcome assessment.</p>","PeriodicalId":49954,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Voice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149197375","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Early Acoustic Voice Changes After Thyroidectomy Without Laryngeal Nerve Injury.","authors":"Yu Ding, Xian Gong, Tingting Li, Lei Ge, Jianming Yuan, Hong Gu","doi":"10.1016/j.jvoice.2026.09.047","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2026.09.047","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objectives: &lt;/strong&gt;The incidence of thyroid cancer has been increasing annually, and surgery remains the primary therapeutic approach. Clinically, postoperative voice disorders may occur in patients undergoing thyroidectomy, even in the absence of intraoperative injury to the laryngeal nerves. This retrospective study aimed to objectively evaluate postoperative acoustic voice alterations after thyroidectomy using Praat software in patients with confirmed preservation of recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) and superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) function. The study focused on changes in acoustic parameters within 72 hours after surgery and explored associated influencing factors, providing a reference for early and accurate assessment, identification, and intervention of postoperative voice impairment to facilitate patient recovery.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;A total of 68 patients diagnosed with papillary thyroid carcinoma who underwent total thyroidectomy or thyroid cancer radical surgery at our hospital between October 2025 and January 2026 were retrospectively enrolled. Acoustic analyses were performed using Praat software at three time points: T0 (1-3 days before surgery), T1 (18-24 hours after surgery), and T2 (66-72 hours after surgery). Sustained phonation of the vowel /a/ was recorded in a quiet room with the microphone positioned 10 cm from the participant's mouth using a digital recorder and microphone system. Acoustic parameters, including fundamental frequency (F0), jitter, shimmer, and the maximum phonation time (MPT), as an indicator of respiratory phonatory function, were extracted. Clinical characteristics, surgical-related variables, and perioperative data were collected through structured questionnaires and medical records to analyze the current status of postoperative voice impairment and potential influencing factors.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;The results demonstrated that jitter at T2 exhibited the highest sensitivity to surgical trauma among the evaluated acoustic parameters. Intraoperative blood loss exceeding 20 mL was identified as an independent influencing factor for postoperative jitter variation (β = 0.600, P &lt; 0.001). Fundamental frequency (F0) was primarily affected by sex (β = 0.390, P = 0.001). However, shimmer and MPT showed no significant predictive value during the hyperacute postoperative period.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;Voice abnormalities occurring after thyroidectomy in papillary thyroid carcinoma patients without intraoperative nerve injury are reversible. The severity of postoperative voice alterations is associated with sex, the extent of intraoperative lymph node dissection, and intraoperative blood loss. This study supports an evaluation strategy based on the matching of specific acoustic indicators with appropriate postoperative time windows for detecting thyroidectomy-related voice impairment. Early identification of voice changes during the hyperacute postoperative phase an","PeriodicalId":49954,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Voice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149197214","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Vocal Fatigue Scale for Chinese University Music Teachers: Development and Psychometric Validation.","authors":"Ya Gao, Ali Khodi","doi":"10.1016/j.jvoice.2026.07.004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2026.07.004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Vocal fatigue (VF) is a common occupational health issue among university music teachers, whose work can involve specialized speaking and vocal-demonstration demands. Existing vocal-fatigue measures provide useful general assessment, but may not fully represent the task-specific demands of Chinese university music teaching. This study aimed to develop and provide initial psychometric validation of a contextually relevant Vocal Fatigue Scale for Chinese university music teachers. A mixed-methods sequential exploratory design was used, involving item generation, pilot testing, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).In the item-generation phase, 40 initial items were developed through a structured literature review and scale mapping, thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 8 Chinese university music teachers, and interdisciplinary expert consultation. Content-validity evaluation by 6 experts yielded an S-CVI of 0.94 and an overall mean I-CVI of 0.91, supporting favorable content-validity evidence. A pilot study with 115 participants showed high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha: 0.913-0.931) and corrected item-total correlations of at least 0.40 across the four provisional dimensions.EFA was performed on a randomly assigned subsample of 158 participants and supported an interpretable four-factor structure: Vocal Effort and Endurance Decrement, Teaching Voice Quality and Communication Control Changes, Laryngeal Discomfort and Somatic Symptoms, and Functional Impact and Recovery. CFA was then conducted on a separate randomly assigned subsample of 168 participants. Fit indices for the four-factor model were favorable (χ²/df = 1.103, CFI = 0.979, TLI = 0.978, RMSEA = 0.025). AVE values ranged from 0.514 to 0.578, CR values from 0.913 to 0.932, and the square root of AVE exceeded inter-construct correlations.The findings provide initial evidence that the scale has a coherent four-factor structure, strong internal consistency, and contextually relevant item content in the samples studied. The instrument may be useful for research and descriptive needs assessment among Chinese university music teachers; broader clinical, longitudinal, or comparative applications require additional validation.</p>","PeriodicalId":49954,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Voice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149197277","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Voice and Cognition.","authors":"Robert T Sataloff","doi":"10.1016/j.jvoice.2026.09.024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2026.09.024","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49954,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Voice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149197481","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Examining the Relationships Between Vocal Fatigue and Voice-Related Quality of Life Among K-12 In-Service Music Teachers.","authors":"Kexin Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.jvoice.2026.09.054","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2026.09.054","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Music teachers depend on their voices for a variety of professional responsibilities. Despite the well-documented broader vocal health issues among music teachers, comparatively little is known about self-reported vocal fatigue and the impacts of voice problems on daily function and quality of life in this population. The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationships between self-reported vocal fatigue and two indicators of self-perceived vocal impacts, voice handicap and voice-related quality of life, among K-12 in-service music teachers. The second purpose was to examine whether vocal fatigue varied as a function of teaching contexts. Participants were 211 K-12 music teachers who were members of the National Association for Music Education. They completed an online questionnaire that included (1) demographic and background information, (2) Vocal Fatigue Index, (3) Voice Handicap Index-10, and (4) Voice-Related Quality of Life. Participants rated physical discomfort associated with voicing (factor 2) as closest to the established vocal fatigue threshold. Pearson correlation analyses revealed significant and positive correlations between tiredness of voice and avoidance of voice use (factor 1) and physical discomfort (factor 2) with voice handicap, and significant and negative correlations between factors 1 and 2 with voice-related quality of life. Participants reported lower degrees of tiredness of voice and physical discomfort also tended to report lower voice handicap and better voice-related quality of life. Tiredness of voice was the only significant predictor of voice handicap and voice-related quality of life. Participants who taught 1 to 5 years scored significantly higher on physical discomfort than those who taught for more than 15 years. When experiencing vocal fatigue, music teachers are recommended to use amplification, consult vocal health professionals, and seek organizational support from districts and mentors. Vocal health education should provide knowledge on healthy speaking, vocal health resources, and the roles of voice care professionals.</p>","PeriodicalId":49954,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Voice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149185589","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}