Short‐ and Longer‐Term Effects of Three Intensive Straw Phonation Interventions on the Voice of Female Speech‐Language Pathology Students With Mild Dysphonia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

What is already known on the subject Straw phonation (SP) exercises have shown positive effective for patients with dysphonia. However, to date, there remains a lack of clarity regarding the training conditions generating the most optimal effects, emphasizing the need for further research. For example, there is still uncertainty about a potential additional benefit of submerging the straw in water, creating extra resistance to airflow and a potential massage-like effect. To date, most studies investigated the immediate effects of SP. Consequently, there is limited evidence regarding whether a SP intervention results in a more economical and efficient voice production in the longer term. What this paper adds to existing knowledge The purpose of this study was to examine the short- and longer-term effects (3 months follow-up) of a one-month intensive SP intervention on the voice quality and voice-related quality of life of female speech-language pathology (SLP) students diagnosed with mild dysphonia, using a randomized controlled trial. The effects of SP in air, SP in 2cm water and SP in 5cm water were compared. Positive effects were found for the three SP interventions. However, the most promising results were found for SP in 2cm water, suggesting an optimal impedance match between the glottis and the vocal tract in this specific population. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? In line with the current state of the art, an intervention using straw phonation (with stirring straws) demonstrated positive effects on the phonation of the investigated female SLP students with mild dysphonia. Among the three conditions tested, a stirring straw submerged 2 cm in water appeared to be the most effective for this population. Further research is needed to determine whether these findings extend to other voice users. The ultimate clinical goal of such efficacy studies is to refine and individualize the selection of SP types for specific populations in clinical practice. To achieve this, future large-scale randomized controlled trials focusing on specific patient subgroups are warranted.