Effect of Vocal Therapy Associated With TENS in Women With Behavioral Dysphonia

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) associated with vocal therapy in women with behavioral dysphonia.

Method: Seventeen women with behavioral dysphonia were divided into an experimental group (n = 8) and a placebo group (n = 9). All were submitted to six sessions of vocal therapy, according to the Comprehensive Voice Rehabilitation Program. In the experimental group, therapy was associated with TENS (30 minutes) and in the placebo group, the electrodes were placed and the equipment remained off. The vocal handicap, the voice through the acoustic and auditory perception evaluation, the electrical activity, and the superficial temperature of the suprahyoid and infrahyoid muscles were evaluated. Pre and post data were compared by parametric and nonparametric tests.

Results: There was a decreased in vocal handicap of the placebo group (P = 0.002) and a decreased in the percentage of electrical activity of the right (P = 0.036) and left (P = 0.017) infrahyoid muscles of the experimental group in vowel emission and sequential speech (P = 0.036). There was an increase in temperature in the right infrahyoid region in vowel emission (P = 0.027) and the temperature difference decreased quantitatively between the supra and infrahyoid regions in the experimental group.

Conclusion: TENS associated with vocal therapy reduced the electrical activity of the infrahyoid muscles and balance the temperature between the supra- and infrahyoid regions in women with behavioral dysphonia.

Keywords: Electrical stimulation therapy—Dysphonia—Vocal quality—Neck muscles.