What is it about?

Voice and swallowing are interconnected systems that have therapeutic potential. This review examines how voice exercises—such as pitch glides, singing, and voice training—can act as both a complementary assessment tool and a method to enhance swallowing safety and function. We examine current research outcomes to highlight the benefits of these exercises for individuals with conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and head and neck cancer, among others. Our findings suggest that integrating voice and swallowing therapies could provide a simple, non-invasive way to enhance communication and swallowing abilities, improving the quality of life for those with these challenges.

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Why is it important?

This review opens new opportunities for assessing and improving swallowing outcomes using simple voice tasks, such as pitch glides and Maximum Phonation Time (MPT). These tasks show correlations with swallowing function, making them particularly valuable in settings lacking advanced tools or gold-standard techniques like endoscopy. Additionally, the findings highlight that voice therapy and training—using accessible exercises like singing—can address both voice and swallowing issues simultaneously. This approach is especially beneficial for targeted populations, such as individuals with Parkinson’s disease or stroke, offering an efficient, cost-effective, and holistic strategy to enhance care in resource-limited environments.

Perspectives

Voice and swallowing are often taught as separate topics during academic training, but in clinical settings like ENT departments or ICUs, we quickly realize how interconnected they can be. At times, the high degree of specialization in these areas creates barriers to treating voice and swallowing issues holistically. Through this work, we aim to build bridges between these domains, encouraging clinicians and researchers to adopt integrated approaches. Writing this review was an enriching experience, as it allowed me to explore how simple, accessible tools like voice tasks can address both challenges simultaneously. More than anything, I hope this publication inspires others to think creatively about cross-system approaches and to see their potential for improving care, making it more efficient and inclusive. It’s rewarding to contribute to a field where even small interventions can lead to meaningful improvements in people’s lives.

Adrián Castillo-Allendes
Michigan State University

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Voice Meets Swallowing: A Scoping Review of Therapeutic Connections, American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, January 2025, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA),
DOI: 10.1044/2024_ajslp-24-00194.
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