Maximum phonation time of vowels in adult women with vocal nodules.

BACKGROUND Maximum phonation times (MPT) of vowels in adult women with vocal nodules. AIM To verify and to correlate the values of MPT of vowels in young and middle-aged adult women with vocal nodules. METHOD Database records from a speech therapy school-clinic were used, making up a total of 38 subjects. INCLUSION CRITERIA female adults, aged between 20 and 53 years, with otorhinolaryngology diagnosis of vocal nodules. EXCLUSION CRITERIA 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. CONCLUSION 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.