Voice plays a major role in communication, and it reveals the speaker's physical and emotional health, personality, and identity. Professional voice users are dependent on their voice for their livelihood. A minimal change or deviation in their voice can interfere with their career. Since respiration is the source for voice production, good lung capacity and the inspiratory-expiratory ratio are very important in maintaining a good voice quality. Ujjayi Pranayama, an effective breathing technique is targeted in this study. To investigate the immediate effects of Ujjayi pranayama on acoustic, aerodynamic and self-perception parameters of voice in professional voice users. Twenty normophonic female teachers performed this breathing technique taught by yoga professional. Parameters of aerodynamic, acoustic, and self-perception were analyzed at pre and post-practice. Significant differences in the acoustic variables including intensity and jitter were observed. Aerodynamic parameters have shown significant improvements in the variables including Maximum phonation Duration (MPD), Estimated Subglottal Pressure (ESGP), Laryngeal Conductance (LAC), Laryngeal Resistance (LAR) and Sound Pressure Level (SPL). Among the study participants, 80% have rated the Ujjayi pranayama as useful in prepping their voice for the vocal loading tasks. In view of the better objective evidence and significant improvements in the study variables including the participant's self-perception, authors suggest that Ujjayi pranayama can also be used in voice rehabilitation as a vocal warm-up exercise.
Vestibular paroxysmia (VP) is attributed to neurovascular cross-compression due to vascular loops around the Vestibulocochlear nerve. The exact audio-vestibular profile of individuals with VP is uncertainly reported in literature. Thus, the study was aimed at reporting the results of audio-vestibular test battery in VP. A 37 year-old-female and a 30 year-old-male with tinnitus, giddiness, and positional vertigo underwent routine audiological testing, oto-acoustic emissions, auditory brainstem response, vestibular evoked myogenic potentials, and chochlear hydrops analysis masking procedure which produced normal results. The Dix-Hallpike maneuver revealed positional vertigo and nystagmus while symptoms such as oscillopsia and giddiness were reported during central vestibular tests. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) report revealed labyrinthine artery loops around the VII and VIII cranial nerves. We conclude that subtle symptoms like oscillopsia, giddiness, or vomiting sensation on central vestibular tests should be carefully noted to enhance the identification of VP using audio-vestibular tests battery and MRI should be done for all cases presenting with symptoms of non-fatigable positional vertigo.
8 June 2026 in Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery