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Electromyographic biofeedback training with patients exhibiting a hyperfunctional voice disorder
Author(s) -
Stemple Joseph C.,
Weiler Ernest,
Whitehead William,
Komray Raymond
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1002/lary.5540900314
Subject(s) - biofeedback , physical medicine and rehabilitation , audiology , psychology , electromyography , training (meteorology) , voice training , voice disorder , medicine , physics , meteorology
Baseline EMG measures of general laryngeal area muscle tension while speaking and during silence were taken from a group of 21 normal subjects and 7 subjects diagnosed through indirect laryngoscopy as having vocal nodules. In an attempt to reduce their baseline scores, the vocal nodule patients underwent 8 EMG biofeedback training sessions followed by a 2‐week follow‐up session. Sophisticated listeners then judged the qualities of the voices produced during the baseline and follow‐up sessions. Measures of sound pressure levels for the speech samples were also taken to determine their effects on EMG scores. Results of the statistical analyses revealed that significant differences in general laryngeal area muscle tension while speaking and in silence exist between normal and pathological subjects; and that subjects with vocal nodules could significantly reduce these tension levels with EMG biofeedback training. A positive correlation was then found between the EMG measures and the judgments of voice qualities. No correlations were found between EMG measures and sound pressure levels.