Changes in Objective Acoustic Measurements and Subjective Voice Complaints in Call Center Customer-Service Advisors During One Working Day

SUMMARY: The aim of this study was to investigate how different acoustic parameters, extracted both from speech pressure waveforms and glottal flows, can be used in measuring vocal loading in modern working environments and how these parameters reflect the possible changes in the vocal function during a working day. In addition, correlations between objective acoustic parameters and subjective voice symptoms were addressed. The subjects were 24 female and 8 male customer-service advisors, who mainly use telephone during their working hours. Speech samples were recorded from continuous speech four times during a working day and voice symptom questionnaires were completed simultaneously. Among the various objective parameters, only F0 resulted in a statistically significant increase for both genders. No correlations between the changes in objective and subjective parameters appeared. However, the results encourage researchers within the field of occupational voice use to apply versatile measurement techniques in studying occupational voice loading.     

Epidemiological Study of Voice Disorders Among Teaching Professionals of La Rioja, Spain

The purpose of the present study was to calculate the prevalence and incidence of voice disorders among teaching staff and find out the associated occupational risk factors. A case-control study was performed with 905 teachers, 579 cases and 326 controls; 492 were randomly selected and 413 volunteered. All teachers were asked to fill out a standard questionnaire. Next, a complete laryngeal exam was performed including a general ear, nose, and throat evaluation and videolaryngostroboscopy. The prevalence of voice disorders among teaching staff was 57%. The most prevalent lesions were vocal overstrain (18%), nodular lesions (14%), and hyperfunctional dysphonia (8%). The incidence rate was 3.87 new cases per year per 1000 teachers. Women had organic lesions three times more than men (odds ratio [OR]: 3.52, confidence interval [CI]: 2.04-6.09). However, men had chronic laryngitis three times more than women (OR: 2.93, CI: 1.50-5.71) and functional dysphonia nearly twice more than women (OR: 1.81, CI: 1.21-2.69). We find a significant risk of suffering voice disorders in teachers who smoke daily (OR: 2.31, CI: 1.58-3.37) and who drink several cups of coffee or tea (OR: 1.87, CI: 1.36-2.56). It is advisable to carry out an annual evaluation of all teaching staff on account of the high prevalence of voice disorders among them.     

体力活动对围绝经期女性更年期综合征影响的研究

目的研究体力活动对围绝经期女性更年期综合征的影响。方法2013年8月至2014年8月通过院内调查及社会调查两种模式共调查杭州市余杭区472例围绝经期女性,调查资料完整者401例,其中符合纳入标准者223例,通过问卷形式收集患者一般情况（包括年龄、身高、体重、吸烟饮酒情况、生育情况等）、更年期综合征症状、体力活动强度。分析患者体力活动与更年期综合征的关系。结果在文化水平、初次月经、年龄等方面,轻、中、重体力活动组之间无统计学差异（均P＞0.05）;轻度体力活动组BMI＞25的比例为26.5%,吸烟比例为32.5%,饮酒比例为27.7%,均高于中、重度体力活动组的相应比例（均P＜0.05）。轻度及重度体力活动组血管舒缩分值高于中度体力活动组（P＜0.05）,但轻度体力活动组与重度体力活动组比较差异无统计学意义（P＞0.05）,在心理社会、性生活、生理状态上,轻度体力活动组分值均高于中度及重度体力活动组,差异均有统计学意义（均P＜0.05）,中度体力活动组与重度体力活动组间比较均无统计学差异（均P＞0.05）。采用多元logistic回归分析绝经期生存质量状况与体力活动的关系,在校正BMI、文化水平、吸烟、饮酒、初次月经、婚姻状况、生育情况、工作状态、年龄等因素后,血管舒缩症状在中度体力活动组症状轻于轻度及重度体力活动组（P＜0.05）,重度体力活动组与轻度体力活动组无统计学统计学意义（P＞0.05）;心理社会、性生活及生理状态症状,中度及重度体力活动组症状均要轻于轻度体力组（P＜0.05）,中度与重度体力活动组间比较无统计学意义（P＞0.05）。结论体力活动的增加对围绝经期女性是潜在有意义的替代治疗方法,尤其是中度的体力活动可以在一定程度上预防或改善更年期综合征症状。     

Voice research: So What? A clearer view of voice production, 25 years of progress; the speaking voice

The past 25 years has yielded an impressive growth in our knowledge of vocal function. Interdisciplinary research cooperation in areas of laryngeal histology, vocal aerodynamics and acoustics, vocal fold vibratory characteristics, neurolaryngology, and phonatory models has led to a clearer view of voice production. This article offers a brief review of the progress that has been made in our understanding of the speaking voice and relates this knowledge to clinical practice. The importance of utilizing voice research to confirm traditional management techniques and to develop new physiologically based management approaches is also stressed.     

A comparison of the prevalence of vocal symptoms among teacher students and other university students

Studies focusing on different groups of students show that the prevalence of vocal symptoms and voice disorder vary depending on the study populations. A previous study of vocal symptoms and voice disorders among teacher students has shown that 20% of the students studying to become teachers in comprehensive schools and upper secondary schools reported frequently occurring vocal symptoms, ie, two symptoms or more occurring weekly or more often during the past year, and that most of these students had an organic voice disorder. This raised the question of whether other university students would also report similar, frequently occurring vocal symptoms. A questionnaire was distributed to 220 students of several faculties at the University of Turku, Finland. The results were compared with the results of a study of vocal symptoms reported by 175 students studying to become teachers. This comparison showed that students in general reported frequently occurring vocal symptoms, whereas the students studying to become teachers reported a greater number of frequently occurring symptoms than did other students at the university.     

Effects of Vocal Training and Phonatory Task on Voice Onset Time

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: The purpose of this study was to examine the temporal-acoustic differences between trained singers and nonsingers during speech and singing tasks. METHODS: Thirty male participants were separated into two groups of 15 according to level of vocal training (ie, trained or untrained). The participants spoke and sang carrier phrases containing English voiced and voiceless bilabial stops, and voice onset time (VOT) was measured for the stop consonant productions. RESULTS: Mixed analyses of variance revealed a significant main effect between speech and singing for /p/ and /b/, with VOT durations longer during speech than singing for /p/, and the opposite true for /b/. Furthermore, a significant phonatory task by vocal training interaction was observed for /p/ productions. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that the type of phonatory task influences VOT and that these influences are most obvious in trained singers secondary to the articulatory and phonatory adjustments learned during vocal training.