Quantifying vocal fatigue recovery: dynamic vocal recovery trajectories after a vocal loading exercise.
OBJECTIVE
We quantified the recovery of voice following a 2-hour vocal loading exercise (oral reading).


METHODS
Eighty-six adult participants tracked their voice recovery using short vocal tasks and perceptual ratings after an initial vocal loading exercise and for the following 2 days.


RESULTS
Short-term recovery was apparent, with 90% recovery within 4 to 6 hours and full recovery at 12 to 18 hours. Recovery was shown to be similar to a dermal wound healing trajectory.


CONCLUSIONS
The new recovery trajectory highlighted by the vocal loading exercise in the current study is called a vocal recovery trajectory. By comparing vocal fatigue to dermal wound healing, this trajectory is parallel to a chronic wound healing trajectory (as opposed to an acute wound healing trajectory). This parallel suggests that vocal fatigue from the daily use of the voice could be treated as a chronic wound, with the healing and repair mechanisms in a state of constant repair. In addition, there is likely a vocal fatigue threshold at which point the level of tissue damage would shift the chronic healing trajectory to an acute healing trajectory.
Hunter
Eric J
EJ
National Center for Voice and Speech, The Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Denver, Colorado, USA.
Titze
Ingo R
IR
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D013997:Time Factors; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014833:Voice Quality / Q000502:physiology*; D014834:Voice Training