Clinical Application of Voice Fatigue Testing in Treating Voice Fatigue Among Primary and Secondary School Teachers

To evaluate the efficacy of voice training and vocal rest therapy for voice fatigue in primary and secondary school teachers using the vocal loading task (VLT), and to clarify the clinical value of VLT in assessing voice fatigue.

Sixty primary and secondary school teachers presenting with vocal fatigue as the primary complaint were prospectively enrolled in the Ear, Nose, and Throat outpatient department from February 2021 to June 2022. They were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 30, voice training) and a control group (n = 30, vocal rest). Efficacy was assessed pre- and post-intervention using the Voice Handicap Index 10 (VHI10), acoustic parameters (jitter, shimmer, and Dysphonia Severity Index (DSI)), and VLT parameters (mean fundamental frequency [MVF0] and failure rate per minute).

Intragroup comparison: Post-treatment, both groups showed significant reductions in VHI10, jitter, and shimmer, while DSI significantly increased (all P < 0.05). The experimental group exhibited significant decreases in MVF0 and failure rate per minute from 3 minutes to 10 minutes, while the control group showed significant reductions in failure rate from 1 minute to 2 minutes and 4 minutes to 10 minutes (all P < 0.05). Intergroup Comparison: The experimental group showed significantly greater reductions in VHI10 and greater increases in DSI compared to the control group after treatment (both P < 0.05). VLT revealed significantly greater reductions in MVF0 at 8 and 10 minutes and in failure rate at 6 and 8-10 minutes in the experimental group than in the control group (both P < 0.05).

VLT enables dynamic and precise assessment of treatment efficacy for voice fatigue in primary and secondary school teachers. Voice training demonstrates superior therapeutic effects compared to vocal rest. As a core objective assessment tool, VLT warrants clinical promotion and application.