Vocal nodules and laryngeal morphology

Our purpose was to study the occurrence of vocal fold nodules under conditions of habitual vocal abuse associated with increased laryngeal muscle tension, to identify the existence of a relationship between vocal nodules and laryngeal morphology. We studied one group of 30 subjects with vocal nodules, 18 to 50 years old, who were compared with two control groups, one of females and one of males, consisting of 30 subjects each. The parameters evaluated were: type of vocal folds coaptation, glottic proportion (GP) and abduction angle (AA), obtained by videotelelaryngoscopy. In the nodules group, the larynges presented a mean value of GP similar to that of the female group, both of which were lower than the mean GP value of the male group. On the other hand, the mean AA was lower than the one in the female group, and closer to the one in the male group. We concluded that vocal nodules were present only in larynges with a predominantly young female morphology, with functional limitations of abduction.16340841

Julgamento de telespectadores a partir de uma proposta de intervenção fonoaudiológica com telejornalistas Viewers' perception on television journalists after a proposed speech-language intervention

OBJETIVO: verificar o julgamento do desempenho de um grupo de telejornalistas, de acordo com a situação, pré e pós uma proposta de intervenção fonoaudiológica, na opinião de telespectadores. MÉTODOS: seis telejornalistas de uma emissora de televisão universitária foram filmados em leitura simulada de apresentação de telejornal, e posteriormente submetidos a uma proposta de intervenção fonoaudiológica. Uma nova filmagem foi realizada após a intervenção sob as mesmas condições anteriores. O material pré e pós-intervenção foi editado de forma aleatória e determinado por sorteio intra-sujeito. A edição foi apresentada, individualmente para 50 telespectadores adultos, para julgamento do desempenho dos telejornalistas. RESULTADOS: no julgamento dos telespectadores observou-se que, dos seis telejornalistas, quatro apresentaram um percentual estatisticamente significante de preferência dos telespectadores na situação pós-intervenção. CONCLUSÃO: verificou-se percentual estatisticamente significante de preferência para os telespectadores na situação pósintervenção, dado que demonstra o efeito positivo da intervenção fonoaudiológica realizada com os telejornalistas.<br>PURPOSE: to examine viewers' perception on television newscaster performance before and after speech-language intervention. METHODS: six university station newscasters were videotaped reading while pretending to be in a news-broadcasting situation. They were then subjected to a speech-language program. The program consisted of four meetings, each lasting two hours and thirty minutes. After the end of the program, the journalists were videotaped for a second time, under the same conditions as before the beginning of the intervention. The recorded pre and post-program material was randomly edited and the order of appearances determined by an intra-subject draw. Subsequently, the edited material was shown to 50 adult viewers, who were asked to provide their opinion on each individual's pre and post-program performance. RESULTS: it was perceived that, in the viewers' opinions, four of the six subjects showed a statistically significant viewer preference for the post-intervention recording. CONCLUSION: the majority of the analyzed newscasters had statistically significant percentages of viewer preferences for the post-intervention recording, demonstrating the positive effects of the speech-language intervention