Persona: Lã, Filipa M.B.
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Lã
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Filipa M.B.
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Publicación Self-Perceived Voice Handicap During COVID19 Compulsory Facemask Use: A Comparative Study Between Portuguese and Spanish Speakers(Elsevier, 2024-08-02) Polo Cano, Nuria; Lã, Filipa M.B.This study investigates self-perceptions of voice-related handicap as a function of facemask use in the general working population during the COVID19 outbreak, using the Voice Handicap Index (VHI). Each VHI item was answered twice in a row; the first answer referred to the condition of not wearing a facemask (henceforth, the Without condition) and the second to the condition of using a facemask (henceforth, the With condition). VHI scores were collected via Google Forms (Google, Mountain View, California), targeting 2 groups of speakers of different nationalities, Portuguese (n = 261) and Spanish (n = 297). A Wilcoxon test was carried out to compare VHI scores between With and Without conditions for each group of speakers; a Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare groups within each condition. Results suggested that VHI overall scores and scores for all dimensions were higher for the With condition, for both Portuguese and Spanish speakers. When comparing groups of speakers, Spanish speakers presented higher scores for functional and emotional dimensions, for both With and Without conditions. In addition, the overall score for the Without condition was higher for Spanish speakers. No differences between groups were found for the total VHI score for the With condition. When comparing overall VHIdiff between speakers, that is, the difference in the VHI total score between With and Without conditions, no significant differences could be found. Thus, a multiple regression analysis was carried out between the VHIdiff and the independent variables of interest: age, sex, smoking habits, professional occupation, nationality, facemask type and its hours of use. The resulting model providing the highest association suggested that 2.5% of the variation in overall VHIdiff total score could be associated with sex, smoking habits, and professional level. Female smokers who use their voices during prolonged hours at work (e.g., teachers, lawyers, sales people) presented a higher VHI total score when wearing a mask. Future voice-related health interventions should address preventive strategies towards speaking behaviors leading to vocal fatigue and vocal effort as a consequence of compulsory facemask use, especially with respect to female professional voice users who smokePublicación What Voice-Related Metrics Change With Menopause? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Study(Elsevier, 2022-05) Ardura Martínez, Diego; Lã, Filipa M.B.Voice complaints associated with menopause have been reported by a substantial number of studies. However, to assess the clinical relevance of menopause to voice is still difficult as the extent to which menopausal symptoms are reflected on voice metrics remains unclear. A comprehensive review and meta-analysis were carried out to identify voice-related metrics that change with menopause and to quantify the magnitude of those changes. Academic Search Premier, Medline, SciELO, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science were searched without restriction of publication year until January 2020. Cross-sectional studies comparing voice-related metrics between pre- and post-menopausal women were included. Studies assessing effects of hormonal-replacement therapy were excluded. Datasets with more than one publication were also disregarded. Methodological quality of included studies was assessed applying the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for cross-sectional studies. Given the heterogeneous nature of the primary studies, random-effects models were applied to pool the estimates. Eight articles were considered eligible for meta-analyses, assessing the effects of menopause on 6 voice metrics: mean fundamental frequency (fo), extracted from (1) speech and (2) from sustained vowel /a/; frequency perturbation measures (3) jitter, (4) shimmer and (5) noise-to-harmonics ratio; and (6) maximum phonation time. Both speech fundamental frequency and fo for sustained vowel /a/ were found to be 0.94 and 1.18 semitones lower in post- as compared to pre-menopausal women, respectively. Although significant, the magnitude of these decreases is below the just noticeable interval difference and well above the cutting point for distinguishing female from male voices. No significant differences were found for jitter, shimmer, noise-to-harmonics ratio, and maximum phonation time. The evaluation of acoustic metrics that reflect a single aspect of voice production at a time may conceal the effects of hormonal shifts during menopause. In addition, several variables interplay during voice production and acoustical measures may constitute weak predictors of vocal folds’ status, where changes associated to sex steroid hormones are most likely to occur.Publicación Fundamental frequency disturbances in female and male singers' pitch glides through long tube with varied resistances(Acoustical Society of America (ASA), 2023-08-09) Sundberg, Johan; Granqvist, Svante; Lã, Filipa M.B.Source-filter interaction can disturb vocal fold vibration frequency. Resonance frequency/bandwidth ratios (Q-values) may affect such interaction. Occurrences of fundamental frequency (fo) disturbances were measured in ascending pitch glides produced by four female and five male singers phonating into a 70 cm long tube. Pitch glides were produced with varied resonance Q-values of the vocal tract + tube compound (VT + tube): (i) tube end open, (ii) tube end open with nasalization, and (iii) with a piece of cotton wool in the tube end (conditions Op, Ns, and Ct, respectively). Disturbances of fo were identified by calculating the derivative of the low-pass filtered fo curve. Resonance frequencies of the compound VT+tube system were determined from ringings and glottal aspiration noise observed in narrowband spectrograms. Disturbances of fo tended to occur when a partial was close to a resonance of the compound VT+tube system. The number of such disturbances was significantly lower when the resonance Q-values were reduced (conditions Ns and Ct), particularly for the males. In some participants, resonance Q-values seemed less influential, suggesting little effect of source-filter interaction. The study sheds light on factors affecting source-filter interaction and fo control and is, therefore, relevant to voice pedagogy and theory of voice production.Publicación The Effects of Menopause on Vocal Folds’ Vibratory Characteristics of Female Professional Voice Users(Elsevier, 2025-05-31) Barro Fiuza, Mauro; Lã, Filipa M.B.; Coronado, Pluvio; Roberto, Magda SofiaIntroduction Menopause has been associated with changes in the vocal folds; however, whether these changes impact on vocal folds’ oscillation and collision patterns is still unknown. Materials and Methods Phonation and collision threshold pressures (PTP and CTP, respectively) were compared between premenopausal and postmenopausal female professional voice users (FPVUs), allocated into levels 1 and 2 according to professional use of their voice (ie, singers/singing teachers and schoolteachers, respectively). Audio, electroglottographic, and intraoral pressure signals were recorded while participants performed diminuendo sequences on the syllable /pa/ at pitches A3, E4, and A4. Hormonal profiles and self-perceived voice symptoms were also assessed. Results Voice-related menopausal symptoms were self-perceived as mild in postmenopausal FPVUs. No statistically significant differences in PTP and CTP were found between professional groups for the interaction between reproductive status (ie, premenopausal and postmenopause) and professional level (ie, singers/singing teachers and schoolteachers) for any of the analyzed pitches, despite significant differences in concentrations of pituitary hormones and estradiol. No significant correlations between hormones and voice metrics could be found. Conclusions The increasing numbers of menopausal FPVUs and the great individuality in degree of severity of menopause-related voice symptoms justify further investigations, including professional voice users, especially those complaining of more severe menopause-related voice symptoms.Publicación Contributions of music therapy and of prenatal singing to maternal mental health, maternal attachment, and neonatal behavior(Elsevier, 2025-04-10) Carvalho, E.; Justo, João Manuel Rosado De Miranda; Lã, Filipa M.B.; Queirós, A.; Panela, Ryan A.; Botelho, M.; Roberto, Magda S.Background Listening to music during pregnancy is associated with better neonatal behavior; however, contributions of prenatal singing to neonatal behavior are still unknown. Also, contributions of acoustic propagation of maternal humming inside the womb on fetal and neonatal behavior are still not understood. Methods Low obstetric risk pregnant women (N = 24) were sequentially allocated into three groups: 1) control group (CG) without prenatal singing; 2) music therapy group (MTG); and 3) vocal training group (VTG). Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS) and Antenatal Maternal Attachment Scales were applied at 32 GW and also at 37 GW. DASS, Postnatal Maternal Attachment Scales, and Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS) were applied between one week and one month after birth. Results For MTG: prenatal attachment was improved at 37 GW; newborns range of state was higher when compared with CG newborns; lower scores of anxiety and of stress assessed at 37 GW were associated with higher neonatal autonomic regulation; after birth, lower maternal levels of depression were associated with newborns' higher social orientation. For VTG: anxiety assessed at 37 GW associated negatively with social orientation; after birth, DASS total score associated negatively with autonomic regulation. Conclusion MTG seems to favor prenatal attachment, and neonatal range of state. Apparently prenatal singing (present at both MTG and VTG) improves the association between maternal mental health and newborns' social and self-regulatory competencies.Publicación Menopausal Voice-Related Work Limitation Scale (MenoVWL): development and validation(Elsevier, 2022-11-30) Mateos Ramírez, Ana; Ardura Martínez, Diego; Barro Fiuza, Mauro; Polo Cano, Nuria; Lã, Filipa M.B.Objectives Menopause has been reported to affect the voice of female professional voice users (FPVUs). The present study aims at the development and validation of a scale to measure self-perceived menopausal voice-related limitation to work in FPVUs, henceforth the Menopausal Voice-Related Work Limitation Scale (MenoVWL). Methods Items were drawn from previous studies on impacts of sex steroid hormones on voice, available validated scales, and in-depth interviews with post-menopausal FPVUs. A preliminary version with 16 items was evaluated by a panel of 15 voice experts. The resulting revised version was filled in online, together with questions on current endocrinological reproductive status and related symptoms, history of amenorrhea, professional occupation, and demographic information. Responses concerning only professional voice users were selected and inclusive and exclusive criteria were applied for correct allocation of participants into pre- and post-menopausal stages within a restrict age range;192 responses were subject to factorial analysis for MenoVWL validation. Cronbach's alpha measured internal reliability. The scale was tested by comparing MenoVWL scores between pre- and post-menopausal FPVUs (98 and 94, respectively). Results Thirteen items were retained from the expert panel evaluation. Items presented a high Content Validity Index (.94 out of 1) and high Item Acceptance Ratio (86.25 %). Both exploratory and confirmatory factorial analysis rendered one dimension scale with an excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .9). The results of a Mann-Whitney test showed a higher MenoVWL score for post- as compared to pre-menopausal FPVUs (Z = - 2.818; P = .005). Conclusions MenoVWL is a comprehensive and validated scale with a known factor structure. It constitutes a health care and safety outcome self-perceived measure of value to the early detection of voice-related limitations to work in FPVUs during menopause.Publicación Female Voice-Related Sexual Attractiveness to Males: Does it Vary With Different Degrees of Conception Likelihood?(Elsevier, 2023-05) Granqvist, Svante; Cova, Tania; Pais, Alberto C.; Polo Cano, Nuria; Lã, Filipa M.B.Previous investigations have found that female voice-related attractiveness to males increases when both conception likelihood (CL) and voice fundamental frequency (fo) are elevated. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a perceptual experiment where 78 heterosexual males rated sexual attractiveness of 9 female voice samples, recorded at menstrual, follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle under two double-blinded randomly allocated conditions: a natural menstrual cycle (placebo condition) and when using an oral contraceptive pill (OCP condition). The voice samples yielded a total of 54 stimuli that were visually sorted and rated using Visor software. Concentrations of estrogens, progesterone and testosterone were analyzed, and measurements of speaking fundamental frequency (sfo) and its standard deviation (sfoSD), fo derivative (dfo) and fo slope were made. A multilevel ordinal logistic regression model nested in listeners and in females, and adjusted by phase and condition, was carried out to assess the association between ratings and: (1) phases and conditions; (2) sex steroid hormonal concentrations; and (3) voice parameters. A high probability of obtaining high ratings of voice sexual attractiveness was found for: (1) menstrual phase of placebo use and follicular phase of OCP use; (2) for low estradiol to progesterone ratio and testosterone concentrations; and (3) for low dfo. The latter showed a moderate statistical association with ratings of high attractiveness, as compared with the small association found for the remaining variables. It seems that the voice is a weak cue for female CL. Female sexual attraction to males may be a consequence of what females do in order to regulate their extended sexuality across the menstrual cycle rather than of estrus cues, the use of paralinguistic speech patterns being an example.Publicación Long-Term Average Spectrum Characteristics of Portuguese Fado-Canção from Coimbra(Elsevier, 2023-07) Silva, Luciano S.; Granqvist, Svante; Lã, Filipa M.B.Descriptions of acoustical characteristics of Fado, a Portuguese urban style sung in Lisbon and Oporto, are scarce, particularly concerning Fado-Can¸c~ao, a related style sung in Coimbra. The present study aims at describing long-term average spectrum (LTAS) parameters of 16 professional singers while singing and reading the lyrics of a typical Fado-Can¸c~ao. LTAS parameters were investigated in terms of: (1) equivalent sound level (Leq); (2) spectral differences between 3 frequency bands 0−2, 2−5, and 5−8 kHz; and (3) quantification of spectral prominence between 2 and 4 kHz, calculated as the level difference between the peak in this frequency region and a reference trendline between 1 and 5 kHz, henceforth Formant Cluster Prominence (FCP). Given that Fado-Can¸c~ao, besides Fado and traditional styles, originated also from classical singing, and that previous studies on Fado suggest the absence of a singer’s formant cluster, the averaged LTAS for all Fado-Can¸c~ao singers was further compared to the LTAS of two world-touring opera baritones singing an operatic aria and a lied. Results show that Fado-Can¸c~ao is commonly sung with a Leq of 86.4 dB and a FCP of about 10 dB, values significantly higher when compared to reading. The FCP in Fado-Can¸c~ao, although smaller than for the two classical opera singers’ examples (14.8 and 20 dB, respectively), suggests that the style preserved some of its original lyrical influence. However, because younger singers present higher energy in the 5−8 kHz region relative to the remaining frequency bands as compared to older singers, it seems that Fado-Can¸c~ao may be drifting towards non-classical vocal practices. FCP seems to be a promising straightforward method to quantify the degree of formant clustering around the region of the singer’s formant in LTAS, allowing comparisons between different singers and singing styles.Publicación Development and Validation of the Singing Voice Function Self-Efficacy Scale (Singing-VoSES)(['SAGE', 'SEMPRE'], 2023-02-11) Barro Fiuza, Mauro; Ardura Martínez, Diego; Lã, Filipa M.B.This investigation aimed at developing and validating a scale measuring perceived self-efficacy in singing with respect to voice function, the Singing Voice Function Self-Efficacy Scale (Singing-VoSES). Voice experts validated an 18-item scale, subsequently administered online, targeting specifically professional and semi-professional female singers. These inclusion criteria were met by a total of 439 participants. Results of both exploratory and confirmatory factorial analysis suggest that Singing-VoSES is a valid scale, with items grouped into three self-efficacy dimensions: Higher Range and Transitions, Middle Range and Lower Range. Middle Range and Lower Range dimensions were both significantly higher than Higher Range and Transitions. Singing high notes and notes within transitional vocal ranges require a refined neuromotor control of the voice, and thus may be particularly challenging. Comparisons between pre and postmenopausal singers were made, as menopause has been associated with changes in voice function. Significantly lower self-efficacies for Higher Range and Transitions and Middle Range were found in post as compared to premenopausal singers. This result, together with the possible lack of coping strategies, may contribute to negative impacts on singers’ performances and, ultimately, lead to premature retirement from public performances. Thus, monitoring self-efficacy with respect to voice function seems relevant, particularly when assisting singers experiencing menopause-related voice difficulties.Publicación Fundamental frequency variations across the menstrual cycle and the use of an oral contraceptive pill use(American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), 2020-04-27) Polo Cano, Nuria; Lã, Filipa M.B.Purpose Concentrations of sex steroid hormones—estrogens, progesterone, and testosterone—have been associated with premenstrual and menstrual vocal symptoms. However, the extent to which these symptoms may be reflected on acoustical features of the voice is still debated. This study investigates variations in fundamental frequency (fo) and related parameters in connected speech across phases of the menstrual cycle and during the use of a combined oral contraceptive pill (OCP). Method Electrolaryngographic recordings were made, and blood samples were collected at three different phases of the menstrual cycle—menstrual, follicular, and luteal—for placebo and OCP use. These two conditions were blindly and randomly allocated in the study. Speaking fo (SFF), SFF standard deviation, SFF rate of change, SFF slope, maximum and minimum fo, and fo range were extracted for nine healthy females while reading a phrase from the Rainbow Passage. Concentrations of sex hormones were analyzed in serum. Nonparametric statistical tests were carried out to assess differences between phases and conditions. Results SFF, its standard deviation, and maximum fo were significantly different between phases of the menstrual cycle for placebo use only. Menstrual phase showed the lowest values. Maximum and minimum fo were significantly different between placebo and OCP use for menstrual and follicular phases, respectively. Conclusions Fluctuations in sex steroid hormones across the menstrual cycle alter fo in speech more than a particular hormonal concentration. OCP use seems to have a stabilizing effect on the voice relative to fo and related parameters in speech.