International Journal of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery | August 2021 | Vol 7 | Issue 8 Page 1317 International Journal of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery Ghosh S et al. Int J Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2021 Aug;7(8):1317-1324 http://www.ijorl.com pISSN2454-5929 | eISSN2454-5937 Original Research Article Impact of hydration on vocal loading using phonetogram measures Sujan Ghosh 1 , Indranil Chatterjee 2 , Piyali Kundu 2 , Susmi Pani 3 *, Suman Kumar 4 , Joyanta Chandra Mandal 2 INTRODUCTION Voice is an auditory perceptual term that means the audible sound produced by the larynx, which embodies such parameters as pitch, loudness, quality, and variability. 1 Vocal loading is defined by prolonged voice use and additional loading factors (e.g. background noise, acoustics and air quality) affecting the fundamental frequency, type and loudness of phonation, or the vibratory characteristics or the external role of larynx. 2 The four distinct phases involved in vocal loading are: warm up (adapting to the voicing task), performance (continuation of the voicing task), vocal fatigue (perceived increase of physical effort associated with voicing; physical changes to the larynx), and rest. 3 Several authors stated that vocal loading task affects the following voice parameters like jitter, shimmer, fundamental frequency, maximum phonation time. ABSTRACT Background: Vocal loading is a phenomenon that affects the vocal folds and voice parameters. Prolonged vocal loading may cause vocal fatigue. Hydration is one of the easiest precautions to reduce the effect of vocal loading. Voice range profile is an analysis of a participant’s vocal intensity and fundamental frequency ranges. Speech range profile is a graphical display of frequency intensity interactions occurring during functional speech activity. Phonetogram software can analyse VRP and SRP. Methods: Total sixty normophonic participants (thirty male and thirty female) were included in this study. Phonetogram, version 4.40 by Tiger DRS, software used to measure the voice range profile and speech range profile. For VRP, participants were asked to produce vowel /a/ and a passage reading task was given for SRP measurement. Results: All sample recording were done at pre vocal loading task, VLT and after hydration. Parameter that were used to measure the effects were Fo-range, semitone, max-F, min-F, SPL range, max-I, min-I, area (dB). Result showed that after VLT all other parameters like Fo-range, semitone, max-F, min-F, SPL range, max-I, min-I, area (dB) in VRP and SRP were reduced except min-F VRP in male, min-I VRP and min-I SRP in both male and female participants. After hydration all other parameters were improved except max-F VRP and min-F VRP in female, max-I VRP, min-F VRP and area VRP. Conclusions: This study concluded that vocal loading has negative impact on vocal fold tissue and mass. Keywords: Vocal loading, Vocal loading task, Phonetogram, Voice range profile, Speech range profile, hydration 1 Department of Audiologist and Speech-Language Pathologist at Bhagirathi Neotia Woman and Child Care Center, Kolkata, West Bengal, India 2 Department of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, AYJNISHD, ERC, Kolkata, West Bengal, India 3 Department of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, iHear, Kolkata, West Bengal, India 4 Department of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, AYJNISHD, NRC, New Delhi, India Received: 19 May 2021 Revised: 07 July 2021 Accepted: 09 July 2021 *Correspondence: Dr. Susmi Pani, E-mail: panisusmi@gmail.com Copyright:© the author(s), publisher and licensee Medip Academy. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18203/issn.2454-5929.ijohns20212900