The aim of this study was to verify vocal and laryngeal modifications caused by vocal fry in five female subjects without vocal or laryngeal complaints. For this purpose, the sustained emission of the vowel /a/ was digitally recorded, as well as the recording of a videostroboscopic examination of the larynx. Subsequently, the subjects performed the vocal fry in three series of 15 repetitions, with a 30-second interval of passive rest between series, and carried out a second evaluation (recording of the sustained emission of the vowel /a/ and the videostroboscopic examination of the larynx). Both laryngeal and vocal data found prior to and after the vocal fry technique were submitted to acoustic, auditory-perceptive, and videostroboscopic analyses. The acoustic analysis was generated by the Multi Speech program. Analyses showed the following effects of the vocal fry: increase of the vibration of the vocal folds mucosa; alteration or maintenance of voice type and pitch; decrease or maintenance of measures related to jitter and shimmer, as well as the index that suggests glottic noise; decrease of the soft phonation index; maintenance or alteration of the vocal quality and resonance focus, with laryngopharyngeal prevalence; decrease of the fundamental frequency; and increase of frequency and width variations. The study allowed the conclusion that vocal fry had a positive effect on the vibration of the vocal folds mucosa as well as on voice noise, and a negative effect on voice resonance and stability.
Phonation; Voice; Voice training; Voice quality; Voice disorders
