Phonation With a Variably Occluded Facemask: Effects of Task Duration.

Area of Science:

• Voice science
• Speech-language pathology
• Acoustic and aerodynamic analysis of voice

Background:

• Semioccluded vocal tract (SOVT) exercises are standard in voice therapy for improving voice quality.
• Traditional SOVT methods limit users to single phoneme production.
• A variably occluded facemask (VOFM) allows connected speech while maintaining SOVT benefits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of phonation duration using a VOFM on voice outcomes.
• To compare the effects of 5-minute phonation trials with a 2-minute historical control group.
• To assess the influence of different VOFM occlusion diameters (3.2, 6.4, 9.6 mm) on voice parameters.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, randomized cohort study design.
• Fifteen patients with voice disorders participated.
• Phonation was performed through a VOFM for 5 minutes across three occlusion sizes; acoustic and aerodynamic measures were recorded pre- and post-trial.

Main Results:

• All occlusion sizes yielded positive effect sizes for acoustic and/or aerodynamic voice improvements.
• Longer (5-minute) phonation durations showed greater aerodynamic benefits for 9.6-mm and 6.4-mm occlusions compared to 2 minutes.
• Acoustic outcomes improved more with 5 minutes of phonation for 9.6-mm and 6.4-mm occlusions, but 2 minutes was better for the 3.2-mm diameter.

Conclusions:

• The VOFM is effective for voice therapy, with all tested occlusion sizes potentially benefiting different patients.
• A 5-minute phonation duration with a 6.4-mm VOFM occlusion diameter appears most effective for improving acoustic and aerodynamic voice outcomes.
• Further research is needed to explore VOFM's physiological effects and clinical applications in a larger patient sample.