title: Maximum phonation time of vowels in adult women with vocal nodules.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Maximum phonation times (MPT) of vowels in adult women with vocal nodules.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To verify and to correlate the values of MPT of vowels in young and middle-aged adult women with vocal nodules.
  
  
  METHODS
  Database records from a speech therapy school-clinic were used, making up a total of 38 subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  female adults, aged between 20 and 53 years, with otorhinolaryngology diagnosis of vocal nodules.
  
  
  METHODS
  to present a laryngeal pathology other than vocal nodules; hearing loss ; oral breathing; history of neurological, psychiatric, endocrine or gastric disorders; flu or allergy history; drinking and/or smoking habits; previous speech therapy and/or otorhinolaryngology treatments. Anamnesis data, the otorhinolaryngology diagnosis, and the MPT measurements of vowels /a, i, u/ were verified for each subject. MPT evaluation consisted of the duration measurement of three emissions of the vowels, using habitual tone and intensity, until the end of exhalation, with the patient in a standing position, considering the highest value of each vowel. The results were statistically analyzed with a significance level of 5%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Representative age range; less representative MPT and mean, below normality and with a strong positive and meaningful correlation; moderate, positive and significant correlation between MPTs and their means.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For the group of adult women with vocal nodules, the MPT values were reduced and positively correlated; the MPT of vowel /a/ presented a lower value when compared to the other investigated vowels.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Santa Maria. lauraolik@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Laura Oliveira
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Kurtz
authors.forename: Carla Aparecida
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Cielo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010699:Phonation / Q000502:physiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013068:Speech Production Measurement; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors; D014827:Vocal Cords / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult