Acoustic changes of the voice as signs of vocal fatigue in radio broadcasters: preliminary findings.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Vocal fatigue is one of the most common voice symptoms. It usually refers to the sensation of vocal tiredness after a long period of speaking or singing. The purpose of this study was to compare the acoustic characteristics of the voice before and after a long period of voice use in a group of radio broadcasters. METHODS Eight radio broadcasters with normal voices were assessed. We used cepstrum, energy ratio, noise to harmonic ratio and soft phonation index as acoustic variables to assess the possible pre-post vocal loading changes objectively. RESULTS There were no statistically significant pre-post differences in any of the acoustic parameters. Although cepstrum at high pitch did not show a significant difference, it obtained the greatest difference among the acoustic variables. CONCLUSIONS The acoustic measurements used in the present study might not be sensitive enough or appropriate for detecting vocal changes after a long period of voice use, whether in reading (as reported in previous research) or speaking tasks. Moreover, a longer period of vocal loading would eventually reveal more evident and consistent acoustic voice changes.