Effect of Combined Respiratory Muscle Training (cRMT) on Dysphonia following Single CVA: A Retrospective Pilot Study

Volitional and Non-volitional Devices Used in Voice Therapy and Training: A Scoping Review-Part A

OBJECTIVE

To map the volitional and non-volitional devices used by speech and language pathologists (SLPs) in voice training and therapy and characterize their use in research on voice interventions.

METHODS

This scoping review is the first part of a larger study. The electronic search was carried out by mapping the references in PubMed/Medline, LILACS/BVS, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library, and the manual search was carried out in the grey literature. Two blind independent reviewers selected and extracted data; divergences were solved by consensus. The data extracted in this part of the study were the authorship and year of publication, country, study design, sample characteristics, intervention modality, ingredient, target, mechanism of action, dosage, and outcome measures. They were addressed with descriptive analysis.

RESULTS

Publications that use devices as ingredients are mostly from the last two decades, mainly carried out in the United States of America and Brazil, in adults of both sexes with behavioral dysphonia. Forty-two types of devices were used, many of them with similar approaches but different nomenclatures. Most devices were used voluntarily, focusing on vocal function, and aiming to increase source and filter interaction. Most studies used silicone tubes. The most reported technical specification to apply the ingredient was surface electrodes on the neck. Device dosage was time-controlled, and the most used outcomes were self-assessment and acoustic analysis.

CONCLUSION

Devices are currently used as ingredients in vocal interventions, with a greater focus on increasing the source and filter interaction, associated with silicone tubes (the most used devices in these studies), which have been dosed with performance time. Outcomes were measured with self-assessment instruments.

What Factors Determine the Use of Volitional and Non-Volitional Devices in Vocal Interventions Performed by Brazilian Speech-Language Pathologists?

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the determining factors for using devices in vocal interventions and characterize their use by Brazilian speech-language pathologists (SLPs).

METHODS

This cross-sectional observational study had a sample of 148 SLPs with clinical practice in voice. They answered an online questionnaire via Google Forms about sociodemographic data, training, work in the area, and the use of devices in vocal interventions. Data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially.

RESULTS

Tubes, straws, and masks were the most commonly used devices. SLPs specializing in voice are more inclined to use thermotherapy and kinesio tapings while being less inclined to use therapeutic ultrasounds and nebulizers. Voice specialists are less likely to employ electrostimulation. The choice to use photobiomodulation and auditory monitoring devices is influenced by the years of clinical experience, whereas the speech-language therapy training duration affects the use of electrostimulation. The age of the professional also plays a role in the utilization of vibratory stimulation. Vibratory stimulation, auditory monitoring devices, thermotherapy, and nebulization are more frequently utilized among individuals who rely on their voices for occupational purposes, whereas electrostimulation is less common. The use of photobiomodulation is infrequent in children; vibratory stimulation is more common in adolescents, and thermotherapy is relatively common among older individuals. Most of these devices are typically prescribed in execution time during vocal intervention.

CONCLUSION

The specialization, the time since graduation and in the occupation, and the target population of the service are the determining factors for the use of devices. They are used in vocal therapy and training, targeting vocal function.