Acoustic and Perceived Measurements Certifying Tango as Voice Treatment Method

Abstract

Voice disorders are affecting everyday life in many levels, and their prevalence has been studied extensively in certain and general populations. Notably, several factors have a cohesive influence on voice disorders and voice characteristics. Several studies report that health and environmental and psychological etiologies can serve as risk factors for voice disorders. Many diagnostic protocols, in the literature, evaluate voice and its parameters leading to direct or indirect treatment intervention. This study was designed to examine the effect of tango on adult acoustic voice parameters. Fifty-two adults (26 male and 26 female) were recruited and divided into four subgroups (male dancers, female dancers, male nondancers, and female nondancers). The participants were asked to answer two questionnaires (Voice Handicap Index and Voice Evaluation Form), and their voices were recorded before and after the tango dance session. Moreover, water consumption was investigated. The study's results indicated that the voices' acoustic characteristics were different between tango dancers and the control group. The beneficial results are far from prominent as they prove that tango dance can serve stand-alone as voice therapy without the need for hydration. Also, more research is imperative to be conducted on a longitudinal basis to obtain a more accurate result on the required time for the proposed therapy.

Keywords: Acoustic analysis; Hydration; Indirect therapy; Tango dance; Voice characteristics.