Relations between Creaky Voice and Vocal Symptoms of Fatigue

Abstract

Background: The use of a creaky voice in speech has become more common. Laryngeal findings relate creaky voice with strong adductive tension in the glottis, and thus it may be expected to be related to an increased risk of vocal fatigue. Methods: The present study investigated the relation of creaky voice use and vocal symptoms in 104 Finnish female university students (mean age 24.3 years, SD 6.3 years). They had no known pathology of voice or hearing. The participants were recorded while reading aloud a text of approximately 40 s in duration. They also filled in a questionnaire consisting of the Voice Handicap Index (VHI, translation in Finnish), and half of them also answered questions about the frequency and severity of symptoms of vocal fatigue. The samples were perceptually analysed for the amount of creakiness and strain by a speech therapist and a voice trainer. Results: The interrater reliability of the listeners was acceptable (Pearson’s χ² = 100.159, p = 0.000 for creak; χ² = 69.199, p = 0.000 for strain). Neither creakiness nor strain correlated with vocal symptoms. Participants with a low and a high amount of creakiness or strain did not differ from each other in terms of vocal symptoms or VHI scores. Symptoms’ total score correlated with VHI total score and total scores of VHI’s physical subscale. Creakiness and strain correlated positively with each other (r = 0.40, p = 0.000). Conclusion: No significant relations were found between creakiness or strain and vocal symptoms in this sample of university students.

Has the Prevalence of Creaky Voice Increased Among Finnish University Students From the 1990′S to the 2010′S?

“…They may serve linguistic and communicative purposes such as characterizing phonemes, differentiating between words, [14][15] marking phrase endings or turn taking, 16,17 or expressing attitudes or emotions (eg, boredom). 18,19 A previous study by Laukkanen and Rantala 20 found no correlation between vocal symptoms (VHI) and the amount of creaky phonation. This finding, however, may be tentatively explained by the assumption that the participants (young students) either did not use their voices very much or were not sensitive to signs of vocal fatigue.…”

“…27 Creaky phonation has also been reported in female teachers, some of whom may use it in up to 54% of their speech. 35 A recent study of Finnish female students 20 found a 73% prevalence of slight to moderate creak. Perceived strain was also common; slight to moderate strain reached a prevalence of 88.5%.…”

Does the Acoustic Voice Quality Index (AVQI) Correlate with Perceived Creak and Strain in Normophonic Young Adult Finnish Females?

“…Since creak (characterized by irregularities in the voice signal [17] and an irregular, rough-sounding voice) and strain are characteristics that may be related to dysphonia, the question arises as to how the AVQI reacts to these characteristics in the voices of otherwise nondysphonic speakers. Based on the data in our previous study [24], we aim here to answer this question.…”

“…According to Pirilä et al [23], some Finnish female teachers had vocal fry in as much as 16-54% of their speech. In a recent study, we investigated Finnish female university students without any diagnosed voice disorders [24]. We found that 73.2% of the participants (n = 104) used a slight or moderate amount of creaky voice.…”

“…Strain, in turn, refers to the perception of excessive effort related to hyperfunctional voice production [25]. The prevalence of slight or moderate strain was 88.4% [24]. Since creak (characterized by irregularities in the voice signal [17] and an irregular, rough-sounding voice) and strain are characteristics that may be related to dysphonia, the question arises as to how the AVQI reacts to these characteristics in the voices of otherwise nondysphonic speakers.…”