Effectiveness of oral motor respiratory exercise and vocal intonation therapy on respiratory function and vocal quality in patients with spinal cord injury:a randomized controlled trial

Singing,as a method of combining respiratory function exercise and vocal intonation therapy,provides a new direction for respiratory function exercise in patients with spinal cord injury.This randomized controlled trial investigated the effects of oral motor respiratory exercise and vocal intonation therapy on respiratory function and vocal quality in patients with spinal cord injury.Among 31 included patients with spinal cord injury,18 completed the treatment.These 18 patients were randomly assigned to undergo music therapy(intervention group,30 min/d,5 times a week,for a total of 12 weeks;n=9,7 males and 2 females;30.33±11.74 years old)or normal respiratory training(control group,n=9;8 males and 1 female;34.78±11.13 years old).Both patient groups received routine treatment concurrently.Before and at 6 and 12 weeks after intervention,a standard respiratory function test,a voice test,the St.George's Respiratory Questionnaire,and a quality of life questionnaire were administered.The results showed that the inspiratory capacity,forced expiratory volume in 1 second,forced vital capacity,maximal mid-expiratory flow rate,sing-loud pressure level,and sustained note length were significantly increased in the intervention group compared with the control group.The St.George's Respiratory Questionnaire and quality of life results of patients in the intervention group were significantly superior to those in the control group.These findings suggest that oral motor respiratory exercise and vocal intonation therapy,as respiratory training methods in music therapy,are effective and valuable for improving respiratory dysfunction and vocal quality in patients with spinal cord injury.This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of China Rehabilitation Research Center(approval No.2019-78-1)on May 27,2019 and was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry(registration number:Chi CTR1900026922)on October 26,2019.

Effect of vocal respiratory training on respiratory function and respiratory neural plasticity in patients with cervical spinal cord injury:a randomized controlled trial

In previous studies,researchers have used singing to treat respiratory function in patients with spinal cord injury.However,few studies have examined the way in which vocal training affects respiratory neural plasticity in patients with spinal cord injury.Vocal respiratory training(VRT)is a type of vocal muscle-related treatment that is often a component of music therapy(MT)and focuses on strengthening respiratory muscles and improving lung function.In this randomized controlled study,we analyzed the therapeutic effects of VRT on respiratory dysfunction at 3 months after cervical spinal cord injury.Of an initial group of 37 patients,26 completed the music therapy intervention,which comprised five 30-minute sessions per week for 12 weeks.The intervention group(n=13)received VRT training delivered by professional certified music therapists.The control group(n=13)received respiratory physical therapy delivered by professional physical therapists.Compared with the control group,we observed a substantial increase in respiratory function in the intervention group after the 12-week intervention.Further,the nerve fiber bundles in the respiratory center in the medulla exhibited a trend towards increased diversification,with an increased number,path length,thickness,and density of nerve fiber bundles.These findings provide strong evidence for the effect of music therapeutic VRT on neural plasticity.This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of China Rehabilitation Research Center(approval No.2020-013-1)on April 1,2020,and was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry(registration No.Chi CTR2000037871)on September 2,2020.