The Impact of the Auditory System on Phonation: A Review

SummaryObjectivesThe relationship between the auditory system and voice production has been studied extensively in those with impaired hearing, indicating the potential importance of the auditory system to the voice. However, there has been only limited study on the phonatory implications in those with superior auditory systems. This article examines the current literature on the effects of different auditory system characteristics on voice quality and accuracy.MethodsThe following databases were searched from their inception to November 2013: PubMed, EBSCO, and CINAHL. The following keywords were used: “hearing impaired,” “auditory system,” “voice,” “professional voice user,” “hearing,” “singing,” and “hearing loss.” The references of articles were studied to identify further relevant citations. Additionally, Internet searches of Google and Google Scholar were performed. Relevant articles in English were included for review. Studies were excluded on article selection criteria, search strategy followed, search keywords, and searched databases.Results/ConclusionsCurrent literature on the relationship between the auditory system and voice production focuses mostly on the hearing impaired, in which the changes in voice involve alterations in respiration, phonation, and articulation. Evidence on the phonatory effects of a superior auditory system is more limited. There is conflicting evidence as to the existence of a relationship between auditory pitch discrimination and vocal pitch accuracy. The role of the internal model on this relationship and the effects of training on enhancing and modifying the neural areas involved in the model have been studied. Professional singers have also been studied, examining the effects of training on auditory feedback and pitch accuracy. These studies have also produced inconsistent results. Further research is needed.