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Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Singer's Voice
Sponsor: Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
Summary
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can be used to temporarily and reversibly modulate brain functions and is an increasingly utilized tool to investigate the relationships between brain and behavior. This study aimed to identify the effects of tDCS on vocal quality, vocal range, neuromotor functioning of the larynx and self-reported vocal effort in vocally healthy singers. This is a triple-blinded, sham-controlled, randomized clinical trial. The participants will be randomized to one of the three tDCS groups (primary motor cortex, cerebellum or sham). In each group a voice training will be applied at the same tDCS time. The three groups are: (i) cerebellum; (ii) primary motor cortex (M1); (iii) sham. The tDCS parameters in the active groups are anodal - 2mA for 20 minutes, at the sham group the stimuli are finished 30 secondes before starting. Volunteers will pass for 10 intervention days and they will be evaluated for vocal performance before the sessions, in the day 5 of intervention, the last day of intervention (day 10) and 1 month later for follow up evaluation. Voice recordings will be take to assess the following vocal parameters: vocal range profile (VRP) at weak and strong intensities; vocal quality (jitter, shimmer, irregularity, glottal-to-noise excitation ratio, and dysphonia acoustic index) at weak, habitual, and strong intensities; laryngeal diadochokinesis, and self-reported vocal effort using the adapted Borg CR10 scale.
Official title: Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Singers' Voice
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - 45 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
30
Start Date
2024-03-11
Completion Date
2025-06-20
Last Updated
2024-09-25
Healthy Volunteers
Yes
Conditions
Interventions
tDCS
The tDCS is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique. In this study, we used an intensity of 2mA for 20 minutes in two different areas. M1 group: the anode was over C5 (10-10 EEG system) and the cathode was placed over Fp2. For the Cerebellum group stimulation, the targeted anode area was 2 cm below the inion and the cathode over the deltoid muscle.
Flexible tube in water
The exercise involved producing sustained /u/ vowels in ascending and descending scales, tailored to each participants vocal range. The flexible tube was 35 cm long, 1 cm in diameter, and 2 mm thick. One end of the tube was submerged 3 cm into a 500 ml bottle filled with water. Participants produced four sets of vocal exercises, each lasting 3 minutes, with 2-minute rests between sets, totaling 20 minutes of vocal therapy.
Locations (1)
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil