Poor breath management is problematic for singing. Voice students and singing teachers typically attribute breath management issues to abdominal-diaphragmatic breathing technique. The present study seeks to determine whether glottal insufficiency may also contribute to singer’s breath management problems. Studies have revealed a relationship between incomplete vocal fold closure and inefficiency in the speaking voice. However, the effect of incomplete vocal fold closure on vocal efficiency in singers has yet to be determined. Since the larynx cannot be observed without the assistance of clinical instrumentation, not readily available in the voice studio, issues at the glottal level may be underappreciated as a contributor to poor breath management in the singer. Two groups of voice students identified with and without breath management problems underwent aerodynamic and acoustic voice assessment as well as videostroboscopy of the vocal folds to quantify the prevalence of incomplete vocal fold closure. These assessments revealed four groups: (1) those with glottic insufficiency and no perceived breathiness; (2) those with glottic sufficiency and perceived breathiness; (3) those with glottic insufficiency and perceived breathiness; and, (4) those with glottic sufficiency and no perceived breathiness. Results suggest that previously undiscovered glottal insufficiency is common, though the correlation with identified breath management problems was not statistically significant. Acoustic and aerodynamic measures including noise-to-harmonics ratio, maximum phonation time, airflow rate, subglottal pressure and laryngeal airway resistance were most sensitive to glottic insufficiency.

No description available.

Os exercícios de vibração sonorizada são utilizados amplamente tanto para o tratamento de disfonias como na preparação vocal dos profissionais da voz. Ainda são escassas as pesquisas que estudam a fisiologia vocal durante o exercício. O objetivo deste estudo é comparar as diferenças na vibração cordal durante a execução dos exercícios de vibração sonorizada de lábios, de língua e na emissão da vogal /?/ sustentada quanto à amplitude de vibração das pregas vocais e às medidas de coeficiente de contato, em cantores líricos profissionais. Para tal, foram selecionados 10 cantores líricos com domínio laríngeo e das técnicas estudadas. Os sujeitos foram treinados a emitir a vogal /?/ sustentada, a vibração sonorizada de lábios e a de língua no quinto tom acima do mais grave possível de ser produzido e nas mesmas intensidades (fraca e forte). Os indivíduos foram submetidos à nasofibroestroboscopia, na qual foi extraída as imagens da amplitude máxima de vibração das pregas vocais, tomando como referência os valores da medida da cartilagem cuneiforme. Além disso, foram submetidos à eletroglotografia, de onde foram extraídas as medidas automáticas da média e do desvio padrão do coeficiente de contato. A amplitude de vibração cordal teve a proporção média da cartilagem cuneiforme de 0,11 para emissão da vogal /?/, 0,16 para a vibração sonorizada de lábios e 0,17 para a vibração sonorizada de língua, nas fracas intensidades e, respectivamente, 0,16, 0, 29 e 0,26 nas fortes intensidades. Após teste estatístico, percebeu-se diferença nessa medida entre as vibrações sonorizadas de língua e de lábios em relação à vogal /?/ sustentada. A média entre os sujeitos da medida de média do coeficiente de contato foi de 47,72, 50,97 e 52,25 para a vogal /?/ sustentada, vibração sonorizada de lábios e vibração sonorizada de língua nas fracas intensidades e, respectivamente, 50,71, 59,21 e 54,60 para as fortes intensidades. Para essa medida, a vibração sonorizada de lábios se diferenciou da vibração sonorizada de língua e da vogal /?/ sustentada somente nas fortes intensidades. Quanto à média da medida de desvio padrão do coeficiente de contato, os valores para vogal /?/, vibração sonorizada de lábios e vibração sonorizada de língua nas fracas intensidades foram de 3,12, 6,55 e 7,63. Nas fortes intensidades os respectivos valores foram de 1,62, 6,64 e 4,75, sendo que, em ambas as intensidades, as vibrações sonorizadas se diferenciaram da emissão da vogal /?/ sustentada. Concluímos que em cantores líricos profissionais, a vibração sonorizada de lábios e de língua se diferenciam da vogal /?/ sustentada quanto à amplitude máxima de vibração cordal e ao desvio padrão do coeficiente de contato. A média do coeficiente de contato diferencia a vibração sonorizada de lábios da de língua somente nas fortes intensidades. / Exercises of audible vibration are widely used for the treatment of dysphonia and vocal preparation of professional voice users. There is little research done studying vocal physiology during exercise. The aim of this study is to compare the differences in cordal vibration during the exercises of lips and tongue trills and the sustained vowel / ? / as to the extent of vocal fold vibration and the measures of coefficient of contact in professional opera singers. To this end, ten classical singers --reportedly in perfect laryngeal health and mastery, as well as having expert skill in the techniques studied, served as subjects for this study. The subjects were trained to deliver the sustained vowel / ? /, the lips and tongue trills on the 5th tone up the lowest pitch possible to be produced and in the same intensities (weak and strong), selected in advance. The subjects underwent nasofibroestroboscopy, from which images of the maximum amplitude of vibration of the vocal folds were obtained, having as a reference the values of the cuneiform cartilage. In addition, subjects were also submitted to electroglottography, from which the automatic measurements of the mean and standard deviation of the coefficient of contact were taken. The comparison of the results was cross-reference among subjects and strong or weak intensities were compared between them. The amplitude of cordal vibration had the median proportion of the cuneiform cartilage from 0.11 to vowel / ? /, 0.16 for the lip trill and 0.17 for the tongue trill, in the weak intensities, and 0.16, 0, 29 and 0.26 in the strong intensities respectively. After statistical analysis we noted the difference in this measure between the tongue trill and of the lips trill concerning the sustained vowel / ? / . The mean among the subjects of the measurement, of mean contact coefficient was 47.72, 50.97 and 52.25 for the sustained vowel / ? / ,lip trill and tongue trill in weak intensity 50 , 71, 59.21 and 54.60 for strong intensities respectively. To this measure, the lip trill differed from the tongue trill and the sustained vowel / ? / only when in the strong intensities. Regarding the mean measure of standard deviation of coefficient of contact values for sustained vowel / ? /, lip trill and tongue trill in weak intensity were 3.12, 6.55 and 7.63. In strong intensities in the respective values were 1.62, 6.64 and 4.75, and in both intensities, vibrations accompanying sounds were differentiated from the utterance of the sustained vowel / ? / . We concluded that in professional opera singers, the lip and tongue trills are different from the sustained vowel / ? /regarding the maximum amplitude of cordal vibration and the standard deviation of the coefficient of contact. The mean coefficient of contact differs from the lip and tongue trills, only in the strong intensities.

Os exercícios de vibração sonorizada são utilizados amplamente tanto para o tratamento de disfonias como na preparação vocal dos profissionais da voz. Ainda são escassas as pesquisas que estudam a fisiologia vocal durante o exercício. O objetivo deste estudo é comparar as diferenças na vibração cordal durante a execução dos exercícios de vibração sonorizada de lábios, de língua e na emissão da vogal /?/ sustentada quanto à amplitude de vibração das pregas vocais e às medidas de coeficiente de contato, em cantores líricos profissionais. Para tal, foram selecionados 10 cantores líricos com domínio laríngeo e das técnicas estudadas. Os sujeitos foram treinados a emitir a vogal /?/ sustentada, a vibração sonorizada de lábios e a de língua no quinto tom acima do mais grave possível de ser produzido e nas mesmas intensidades (fraca e forte). Os indivíduos foram submetidos à nasofibroestroboscopia, na qual foi extraída as imagens da amplitude máxima de vibração das pregas vocais, tomando como referência os valores da medida da cartilagem cuneiforme. Além disso, foram submetidos à eletroglotografia, de onde foram extraídas as medidas automáticas da média e do desvio padrão do coeficiente de contato. A amplitude de vibração cordal teve a proporção média da cartilagem cuneiforme de 0,11 para emissão da vogal /?/, 0,16 para a vibração sonorizada de lábios e 0,17 para a vibração sonorizada de língua, nas fracas intensidades e, respectivamente, 0,16, 0, 29 e 0,26 nas fortes intensidades. Após teste estatístico, percebeu-se diferença nessa medida entre as vibrações sonorizadas de língua e de lábios em relação à vogal /?/ sustentada. A média entre os sujeitos da medida de média do coeficiente de contato foi de 47,72, 50,97 e 52,25 para a vogal /?/ sustentada, vibração sonorizada de lábios e vibração sonorizada de língua nas fracas intensidades e, respectivamente, 50,71, 59,21 e 54,60 para as fortes intensidades. Para essa medida, a vibração sonorizada de lábios se diferenciou da vibração sonorizada de língua e da vogal /?/ sustentada somente nas fortes intensidades. Quanto à média da medida de desvio padrão do coeficiente de contato, os valores para vogal /?/, vibração sonorizada de lábios e vibração sonorizada de língua nas fracas intensidades foram de 3,12, 6,55 e 7,63. Nas fortes intensidades os respectivos valores foram de 1,62, 6,64 e 4,75, sendo que, em ambas as intensidades, as vibrações sonorizadas se diferenciaram da emissão da vogal /?/ sustentada. Concluímos que em cantores líricos profissionais, a vibração sonorizada de lábios e de língua se diferenciam da vogal /?/ sustentada quanto à amplitude máxima de vibração cordal e ao desvio padrão do coeficiente de contato. A média do coeficiente de contato diferencia a vibração sonorizada de lábios da de língua somente nas fortes intensidades. / Exercises of audible vibration are widely used for the treatment of dysphonia and vocal preparation of professional voice users. There is little research done studying vocal physiology during exercise. The aim of this study is to compare the differences in cordal vibration during the exercises of lips and tongue trills and the sustained vowel / ? / as to the extent of vocal fold vibration and the measures of coefficient of contact in professional opera singers. To this end, ten classical singers --reportedly in perfect laryngeal health and mastery, as well as having expert skill in the techniques studied, served as subjects for this study. The subjects were trained to deliver the sustained vowel / ? /, the lips and tongue trills on the 5th tone up the lowest pitch possible to be produced and in the same intensities (weak and strong), selected in advance. The subjects underwent nasofibroestroboscopy, from which images of the maximum amplitude of vibration of the vocal folds were obtained, having as a reference the values of the cuneiform cartilage. In addition, subjects were also submitted to electroglottography, from which the automatic measurements of the mean and standard deviation of the coefficient of contact were taken. The comparison of the results was cross-reference among subjects and strong or weak intensities were compared between them. The amplitude of cordal vibration had the median proportion of the cuneiform cartilage from 0.11 to vowel / ? /, 0.16 for the lip trill and 0.17 for the tongue trill, in the weak intensities, and 0.16, 0, 29 and 0.26 in the strong intensities respectively. After statistical analysis we noted the difference in this measure between the tongue trill and of the lips trill concerning the sustained vowel / ? / . The mean among the subjects of the measurement, of mean contact coefficient was 47.72, 50.97 and 52.25 for the sustained vowel / ? / ,lip trill and tongue trill in weak intensity 50 , 71, 59.21 and 54.60 for strong intensities respectively. To this measure, the lip trill differed from the tongue trill and the sustained vowel / ? / only when in the strong intensities. Regarding the mean measure of standard deviation of coefficient of contact values for sustained vowel / ? /, lip trill and tongue trill in weak intensity were 3.12, 6.55 and 7.63. In strong intensities in the respective values were 1.62, 6.64 and 4.75, and in both intensities, vibrations accompanying sounds were differentiated from the utterance of the sustained vowel / ? / . We concluded that in professional opera singers, the lip and tongue trills are different from the sustained vowel / ? /regarding the maximum amplitude of cordal vibration and the standard deviation of the coefficient of contact. The mean coefficient of contact differs from the lip and tongue trills, only in the strong intensities.

<p>In Sweden surgical treatment of vocal fold lesions in children is fairly uncommon. At Falun hospital they have adapted a more generous attitude towards phonosurgery of children’s vocal folds. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate surgical treatment of organic vocal fold lesions in children and to assess the phonosurgical patient utility. The study was carried out at the Ear-, Nose- and Throat clinic, Falun hospital, Sweden. Based on case sheets, data was collected regarding the different vocal fold lesions that were surgically treated. The most frequent vocal fold abnormalities were vocal fold nodules, vocal fold cysts and sulcus/vergeture. Further on, assessment of pre- and postoperative voice recordings and stroboscopic examinations were carried out. The general tendency was that vocal fold closure and mucosal wave was estimated as normal or less abnormal following surgery in most patients. Postoperatively, hoarseness, breathiness and roughness were estimated to be significantly lower. For hyperfunction, only a tendency to lower occurrence was observed. The estimation of high pitch was similar pre- and postoperatively. A mail questionnaire showed that most patients/parents estimated a high degree of perceived voice related problems preoperatively. Most patients rated their own vocal function at the time of the study as highly functional. The majority were satisfied with the choice of undergoing surgical treatment. The conclusion was that surgical treatment may be a good option in organic vocal fold lesions in children.</p> / <p>I Sverige är kirurgisk behandling vid stämbandsförändringar hos barn relativt ovanligt. Vid Falu lasarett har man en generösare inställning till fonokirurgi av barns stämband. Syftet med föreliggande studie var att utvärdera kirurgisk behandling vid organiska stämbandsförändringar hos barn för att bedöma vilket värde fonokirurgi har för patienten. Studien genomfördes vid Öron-, Näs- och Halskliniken, Falu lasarett. Journaluppgifter inhämtades angående vilka olika stämbandsförändringar som åtgärdats kirurgiskt. De vanligast förekommande stämbandsförändringarna var knottror, cystor samt sulcus/vergeture. Vidare genomfördes bedömning av pre- och postoperativa röstinspelningar och stroboskopiska undersökningar. Den generella tendensen var att stämbandsslutning och slemhinnevåg i större utsträckning skattades normal eller mindre avvikande efter operation i jämförelse med före operation. Förekomst av röstparametrarna heshet, läckage och skrovlighet bedömdes vara signifikant lägre efter kirurgi. För press kunde endast tendens till lägre förekomst observeras medan det generellt höga röstläget skattades lika före och efter operation. Genom en enkät framkom att flertalet patienter/patienters målsmän skattade förhållandevis höga värden av upplevda röstbesvär före operation. Flertalet skattade höga värden angående hur väl rösten fungerade vid studiens genomförande. Majoriteten var nöjd med valet att genomgå operation. Slutsatsen var att kirurgisk behandling kan vara ett bra behandlingsalternativ vid organiska stämbandsförändringar hos barn.</p>

In Sweden surgical treatment of vocal fold lesions in children is fairly uncommon. At Falun hospital they have adapted a more generous attitude towards phonosurgery of children’s vocal folds. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate surgical treatment of organic vocal fold lesions in children and to assess the phonosurgical patient utility. The study was carried out at the Ear-, Nose- and Throat clinic, Falun hospital, Sweden. Based on case sheets, data was collected regarding the different vocal fold lesions that were surgically treated. The most frequent vocal fold abnormalities were vocal fold nodules, vocal fold cysts and sulcus/vergeture. Further on, assessment of pre- and postoperative voice recordings and stroboscopic examinations were carried out. The general tendency was that vocal fold closure and mucosal wave was estimated as normal or less abnormal following surgery in most patients. Postoperatively, hoarseness, breathiness and roughness were estimated to be significantly lower. For hyperfunction, only a tendency to lower occurrence was observed. The estimation of high pitch was similar pre- and postoperatively. A mail questionnaire showed that most patients/parents estimated a high degree of perceived voice related problems preoperatively. Most patients rated their own vocal function at the time of the study as highly functional. The majority were satisfied with the choice of undergoing surgical treatment. The conclusion was that surgical treatment may be a good option in organic vocal fold lesions in children. / I Sverige är kirurgisk behandling vid stämbandsförändringar hos barn relativt ovanligt. Vid Falu lasarett har man en generösare inställning till fonokirurgi av barns stämband. Syftet med föreliggande studie var att utvärdera kirurgisk behandling vid organiska stämbandsförändringar hos barn för att bedöma vilket värde fonokirurgi har för patienten. Studien genomfördes vid Öron-, Näs- och Halskliniken, Falu lasarett. Journaluppgifter inhämtades angående vilka olika stämbandsförändringar som åtgärdats kirurgiskt. De vanligast förekommande stämbandsförändringarna var knottror, cystor samt sulcus/vergeture. Vidare genomfördes bedömning av pre- och postoperativa röstinspelningar och stroboskopiska undersökningar. Den generella tendensen var att stämbandsslutning och slemhinnevåg i större utsträckning skattades normal eller mindre avvikande efter operation i jämförelse med före operation. Förekomst av röstparametrarna heshet, läckage och skrovlighet bedömdes vara signifikant lägre efter kirurgi. För press kunde endast tendens till lägre förekomst observeras medan det generellt höga röstläget skattades lika före och efter operation. Genom en enkät framkom att flertalet patienter/patienters målsmän skattade förhållandevis höga värden av upplevda röstbesvär före operation. Flertalet skattade höga värden angående hur väl rösten fungerade vid studiens genomförande. Majoriteten var nöjd med valet att genomgå operation. Slutsatsen var att kirurgisk behandling kan vara ett bra behandlingsalternativ vid organiska stämbandsförändringar hos barn.

Die objektive Stimmanalyse ist für die tägliche phoniatrische Praxis von grundlegender Bedeutung bezüglich der Diagnostik und Therapie von Stimmstörungen. Als Goldstandard gilt das Göttinger Heiserkeits-Diagramm (GHD), welches die Aufzeichnung von 28 Vokalen durch geschultes Fachpersonal mit einem zeitlichen Aufwand von ca. 15 Minuten pro Patient erfordert. In der vorliegenden Studie wurde untersucht, ob das GHD auch dann valide Ergebnisse für die Stimmqualität liefert, wenn statt des Standardprotokolls gehaltene Phonationen aus indirekter Laryngoskopie oder Videostroboskopie analysiert werden (sog. „reduziertes Protokoll“). Wäre dies der Fall, ließe sich Stimmanalyse und Untersuchung des Larynx in einem Arbeitsschritt durchführen und somit der zeitliche und personelle Aufwand deutlich reduzieren. Es wurden Stimmaufnahmen aus Stroboskopie und Laryngoskopie von 213 Patienten (97 männlich, 116 weiblich) mit Hilfe des GHD analysiert. Am gleichen Untersuchungstag erfolgte zudem eine typische Mikrophonaufnahme gehaltener Phonationen zur Analyse nach dem vollständigen GHD-Protokoll. Die aus reduziertem und vollständigem Protokoll ermittelten Werte für die Irregularität und die Rauschkomponente des Stimmsignals als objektive Marker der Stimmqualität wurden jeweils korreliert. Sowohl für die Irregularitätskomponente (r=0,65) als auch für die Rauschkomponente (r=0,55) ergaben sich signifikante Korrelationen (p<0,001) zwischen beiden Verfahren. Außerdem zeigte sich, dass bereits eine einzige Stimmgebung aus Laryngoskopie und Stroboskopie ein zuverlässiges Ergebnis liefert. Es konnte eine Mindesttonhaltedauer von 1 Sekunde ermittelt werden. Die Vereinfachung des Vokals während Laryngoskopie beeinflusst das Ergebnis nicht und beide Methoden eignen sich zur klinischen Verlaufskontrolle.

No description available.

Dans cette thèse, nous avons étudié les propriétés optiques de boîtes quantiques InAs/GaAs contenues dans un fil photonique. Des résultats antérieurs à cette thèse ont montré que ces fils photoniques permettent d’extraire les photons avec une efficacité très élevée.Le premier résultat original de ce travail est l’observation de la dérive temporelle de la raie d’émission de la photoluminescence d’une boîte quantique. Cet effet a été attribué à la lente modification de la charge de surface du fil due à l’absorption des molécules d’oxygène présentes dans le vide résiduel du cryostat. Nous avons montré qu’une fine couche de Si3N4 permettait de supprimer cette dérive. La dérive temporelle pouvant être différente pour différentes boites quantiques, nous avons pu tirer partie de cet effet pour mettre en résonance deux boites quantiques contenues dans le même fil.Le deuxième résultat original est la mise en évidence de la modification de l’énergie d’émission d’une boîte quantique soumise à une contrainte mécanique induite par la vibration du fil. Nous avons observé que le spectre de la raie d’émission d’une boîte quantique s’élargit considérablement lorsque le fil est mécaniquement excité à sa fréquence de résonance. A l’aide d’une illumination stroboscopique synchronisée avec l’excitation mécanique, nous avons pu reconstruire l’évolution du spectre d’une boîte quantique au cours d’une période de la vibration mécanique. L’amplitude de l’oscillation spectrale de la raie de luminescence dépend de la position de la boîte dans le fil à cause d’un très fort gradient de contrainte. En utilisant deux modes d’oscillation mécanique de polarisations linéaires et orthogonales, nous pouvons extraire une cartographie complète de la position des boîtes quantiques à l’intérieur du fil. Enfin, grâce à ce gradient, on peut, dans certains cas, trouver une position du fil pour laquelle deux boites quantiques peuvent être amenées en résonance. / In the framework of this thesis, single InAs/GaAs quantum dot devices were studied by optical means. Starting with a general description of self-assembled InAs QDs, two types of single QD devices were presented. The first approach was a tapered GaAs photonic wire embedding single InAs QDs whose efficiency as a single photon source was previously shown to be 90%. We investigated several optical properties of the single QDs. The charged and neutral states of the QD were identified and selectively excited using quasi-resonant excitation.The first original result of this thesis is the observation of a continuous temporal blue-drift of the QD emission energy. We attributed this blue drift to oxygen adsorption onto the sidewall of the wire, which modified the surface charge and hence the electric field seen by the QD. Moreover, we demonstrated that a proper coating of the GaAs photonic nanowire surface suppressed the drift. The temperature effect on this phenomenon revealed an adsorption peak around 20K, which corresponds to the adsorption of oxygen on GaAs. This observation is in good agreement with previous temperature studies with a tapered photonic wire. This was the first study of the spectral stability of photonic wires embedding QDs, crucial for resonant quantum optics experiments. As an alternative, we took advantage of this temporal drift to tune QD emission energies. In a controlled way, we tuned into resonance two different QDs which were embedded in the same photonic nanowire. In the last part of this work, we studied the influence of the stress on single QDs contained in a trumpet-like GaAs photonic wire. The main effect of stress is to shift the luminescence lines of a QD. We applied the stress by exciting mechanical vibration modes of the wire. When the wire is driven at its the mechanical resonance the time-integrated photoluminescence spectrum is broaden up to 1 meV owing to the oscillating stress, The measured spectral modulation is a first signature of strain-mediated coupling between a mechanical resonator and embedded QD single light emitter. With a stroboscopic technique, we isolated a certain phase of the oscillating wire and thereby selected a value of QD emission energies. As a highlight of our study, we managed to bring two different QDs contained in the same wire into resonance by controlling their relative phase. In addition, we could extract the 2D spatial positioning of embedded QDs from the spectral shifts observed for two orthogonal mechanical polarizations.. The investigation of the strain-mediated tuning of QDs can, therefore, be an effective tool to explore the QD positions without destroying the sample.