Investigating the immediate voice changes via perceptual and acoustic methods among normophonic swimming coaches due to vocational voice use

In this research it is aimed to investigate perceptual and acoustical changes in voice quality due to vocational voice use among swimming coaches with healthy voices. In this study, 35 swimming coaches were included, all of whom were determined to have a healthy voice after videolaryngoscopy (VLS) examination. The voice quality of the coaches is assessed both perceptually and acoustically before and after the sessions on their most intensive working days. Perceptual analysis is conducted by using the severity of sensation/symptom component of Vocal Tract Discomfort Scale, whereas acoustical analysis is assessed by evaluating the voice samples obtained according to Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-V/Turkish protocol) via the MultiDimensional Voice Program (MDVP) and Analysis of Dysphonia Speech and Voice (ADSV) software. A comparison was conducted between pre-and post-session measurements for sustained vowel /a/ and sentence weighted with all-voiced phonemes among all participants, also among women and men groups. When the subscales of Vocal Tract Discomfort Scale were assessed; the scores for "Burning" (p=0,003), "Tight" (p=0,015), "Dry" (p=0,015), "Aching" (p=0,016), "İrritable" (p=0,001), "Lumb in the throat" (p=0,005) were significantly increased after the sessions. In the acoustic analysis; as for male participants, Cepstral Peak Prominence Standard Deviation (CPP SD) parameter (0,033), and as for female participants Low to High Spectral Ratio (L/H ratio) parameter (0,046) for sentence weighted with allvoiced phonemes were considered statistically significant. To the best of authors' knowledge, this research appears to be the first study investigating the changes in voice quality of swimming coaches and they contribute to improving practices for protecting vocal health in this population.