A critical view of the yawn-sigh as a voice therapy technique

The purpose of this study was to take a critical look at a voice therapy technique known as the yawn-sigh. The voiced sigh as an approach in voice therapy has had increased use in recent years, particularly with problems of vocal hyperfunction. In this study, the physiology of the yawn-sigh was studied with video nasoendoscopy in eight normal subjects; their taped voices were also studied acoustically for possible fundamental frequency and format changes in producing selected vowels under normal and sigh conditions. Although each subject was given a model by the examiner of a yawn-sigh, one of the eight subjects could not produce a true yawn-sigh. Endoscopic findings for seven of the eight subjects performing the yawn-sigh demonstrated retracted elevation of the tongue, a lower positioning of the larynx, and a widened pharynx. Acoustic analyses for the seven subjects producing the sigh found a marked lowering of the second and third formants. Implications for using the yawn-sigh in voice therapy are given, such as using a modified "silent" yawn-sigh, as an easy method for producing greater vocal tract relaxation.