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de Melo Pestana Mouga Malheiro, João Pedro
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- Myofascial release effects in teachers' posture, muscle tension and voice quality: a randomized controlled trialPublication . Cardoso, Ricardo; Meneses, Rute; Lumini-Oliveira, José; Pestana, PedroSummary: Objective. Myofascial release (MFR) comprises a set of manual therapeutic techniques applied to many conditions, but specific evidence concerning its effects on body posture, muscle tension and voice has been lacking. Thus, the aim of this study was to verify the effects of MFR in teachers’ posture, muscular tension and voice quality. Study Design. Randomized controlled trial − crossover. Methods. Twenty-four teachers, after completing a Sociodemographic and Clinical Questionnaire and providing written informed consent, were randomly distributed into two groups designated Group 1 (G1; n = 12; received MFR first) and Group 2 (G2; n = 12; belong to control group first). All participants received treatment and were into control group, since, after a 14 day period, procedures were switched between groups. Photogrammetry, muscle tension assessed through palpation, algometry, aerodynamic assessment of voice, acoustic and auditory-perceptual analysis of voice were performed before and after interventions. Results. Regarding voice, statistically significant differences were found when intervention was applied to both groups for maximum phonation time (MPT) (G1 P = 0.019; G2 P = 0.004). The acoustic variables did not differ. Concerning the auditory-perceptual analysis of voice statistically significant differences were found when intervention was applied in both groups for Grade in G2 (P = 0.046) and for Roughness in G1 (P = 0.025). Regarding the photogrammetry assessment statistically significant differences were found when intervention was applied to both groups in many parameters while as control group they did not. Concerning the algometry and muscle tension assessed through palpation statistically significant differences were found when intervention was applied in all muscles. Conclusions. Findings indicated that MFR seems to be an effective therapy in improving MPT, two subscales (Grade and Roughness) of the GRABASH scale, muscle tension assessed through palpation and algometry. Regarding photogrammetry, MFR had an immediately effect in improvement of the posture, especially related with head.
- A novel high-technology device for active positive, negative, and alternating pressure modulation of the vocal tractPublication . de Melo Pestana Mouga Malheiro, João Pedro; Pan European Voice ConferenceVoice therapy has established itself as a low-cost, minimally invasive, and clinically effective approach to vocal disorders, with a growing body of scientific literature supporting its application across hypofunctional and hyperfunctional conditions alike. Despite significant advances in vocal assessment technology, therapeutic devices capable of actively and controllably modifying the aerodynamic environment of the vocal tract remain absent from clinical practice. Existing tools are passive in nature, offering no active or real-time modulation capacity. This workshop introduces a novel high-technology device capable of delivering controlled active positive, negative, and alternating pressure to the vocal tract and airway during phonation and respiration — a concept for which no comparable technology has been identified in existing patent databases or the scientific literature prior to the provisional patent application filing. The device is designed to create dynamically adjustable aerodynamic conditions that can either challenge or facilitate vocal fold vibration and respiratory effort according to clinical objectives, with potential indications spanning both hypofunctional and hyperfunctional vocal disorders, as well as respiratory muscle training. Beyond vocal and respiratory applications, the device also holds potential as a multifunctional platform for autonomic nervous system regulation through controlled respiratory loading. This session will present the conceptual framework of the device and demonstrate the working prototype. Its hypothesized physiological and acoustic effects will be discussed, and participants will be invited to contribute to interdisciplinary dialogue on clinical applications, research directions, and methodological challenges at the intersection of vocology, speech-language pathology, respiratory training, and biomedical engineering.
- Workshop: Rethinking the 'water' in water resistance therapy: electroglottographic, aerodynamic and acoustic effects of phonation through non-newtonian fluids with distinct rheological propertiesPublication . de Melo Pestana Mouga Malheiro, João PedroIntroduction: Water Resistance Therapy (WRT) is a well-established semi-occluded vocal tract exercise in which phonation is performed through a tube submerged in water. While the therapeutic effects of WRT have been extensively studied, the properties of the liquid medium itself have received comparatively little attention. Most protocols default to water, a Newtonian fluid with constant viscosity, yet the mechanical resistance experienced during phonation is inherently dependent on the rheological properties of the fluid. Non-Newtonian fluids may offer distinct and potentially modulable resistance profiles, opening new avenues for understanding and refining WRT. Objectives: This hands-on workshop aims to: (1) introduce participants to basic rheological concepts relevant to voice therapy; (2) allow participants to experience phonation through fluids with distinct rheological properties, including Newtonian (water), shear-thinning, and shear-thickening solutions; and (3) demonstrate real-time physiological and acoustic monitoring during WRT with different fluids. Methods: Participants will perform sustained vowel phonation and pitch glides through tubes submerged in several fluids with known rheological profiles (e.g., water, xanthan gum solutions at varying concentrations, cornstarch suspensions). One volunteer participant will be simultaneously monitored using electroglottography (EGG), intraoral pressure measurement, acoustic voice recording, and bubble acoustic analysis. Signals will be displayed in real time, allowing the group to observe how glottal contact quotient, intraoral pressure, fundamental frequency, vocal intensity, and bubble acoustic patterns vary across fluids. All remaining participants will perform the same phonatory tasks and record their subjective perceptions of effort, resistance, and vocal comfort for each fluid. Conclusion: This workshop challenges the assumption that water is the only — or optimal — medium for WRT. By integrating experiential learning with real-time instrumental demonstration, participants will gain a deeper understanding of how the rheological properties of the fluid medium modulate the biomechanical and acoustic effects of tube phonation, and will be encouraged to critically rethink the role of the liquid in water resistance therapy.
- Assessing the performer's voice: a wild-goose chase for acoustic equivalence, or redefining the goal?Publication . de Melo Pestana Mouga Malheiro, João Pedro; Collegium Medicorum TheatriThe objective assessment of artistic voice has traditionally relied on airborne microphones—the "gold standard" for radiated acoustic signals. However, in ecologically valid performance contexts, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is frequently compromised by environmental noise and instrumentation. While contact sensors have emerged as a robust alternative, scientific focus remains largely fixed on their ability to replicate the airborne signal. This session challenges the necessity of acoustic equivalence, proposing instead that contact-based sensors offer a distinct, complementary potential. Evidence suggests these technologies are not directly interchangeable: while airborne signals capture the glottal source filtered by the vocal tract, contact sensors provide a direct proxy of glottal tissue vibration. Consequently, frequency-based parameters show strong correlations between sensors, while amplitude-based parameters and noise components diverge. We propose a paradigm redefinition: contact sensors should be viewed not as secondary acoustic tools, but as primary instruments for measuring physiological sources—representing an entirely different measurement construct. This approach allows performers to quantify underlying mechanisms independently of the radiated sound, even in high-noise environments. We invite researchers and pedagogues to reflect on a dual-measurement model: utilizing contact-based sensors to robustly quantify the "physiological engine" and airborne sensors to capture the "artistic-acoustic result." This distinction facilitates a clearer analysis of cause (glottal mechanism) versus effect (radiated sound) in vocal pedagogy and science.