Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (728 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
The process of producing vocal sounds by means of vocal cords vibrating in an expiratory blast of air.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Phonations.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Respiratory Physiological Phenomena
- Narrower topics
- Singing
- See also
- Speech; Voice; Voice Quality
Related concepts
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 7,077 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Phonation” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 1,732 of them (24.5%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2010-2019 with 2,724 records.
Reviews account for 372 records (5.3%) and meta-analyses for 35. Randomized controlled trials number 226 (3.2%) as a share of all records on the topic.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 1,427 |
| 2000-2009 | 1,194 |
| 2010-2019 | 2,724 |
| 2020 onward | 1,732 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 372 | 5.3% |
| Meta-analyses | 35 | 0.5% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 226 | 3.2% |
Method: PubMed query "Phonation"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in anatomy and physiology
Anatomy describes how body structures are built and physiology describes how they normally work, so most findings here are descriptive or mechanistic rather than evidence about treatment. Much of what is known comes from dissection, imaging, tissue studies and experiments in animals, and measurements in healthy volunteers can differ from those in people with disease or at different ages. Normal ranges vary between individuals and populations. Check whether a result was measured in people or in another species, the age and health of the participants, and the method used.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Differential DNA methylation of vocal and facial anatomy genes in modern humans | 2020 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 94 | cc by PMID 32132541 · DOI · PMC7055320 |
| Music Therapy and Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review from 2015-2020 | 2021 | Systematic review Design not recorded in structured metadata | 49 | cc by PMID 34770129 · DOI · PMC8582661 |
| Vocal music enhances memory and language recovery after stroke: pooled results from two RCTs | 2020 | Randomized controlled trial Design not recorded in structured metadata | 47 | cc by PMID 33022148 · DOI · PMC7664275 |
| In vivo insights into irregular voice production as a complex nonlinear system-a case study | 2025 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 4 | cc by PMID 40799051 · DOI · PMC12344453 |
Differential DNA methylation of vocal and facial anatomy genes in modern humans [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Changes in potential regulatory elements are thought to be key drivers of phenotypic divergence.
- Closing excerpt
- We propose that these repression patterns appeared after the split from Neanderthals and Denisovans, and that they might have played a key role in shaping the modern human face and vocal tract.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (136 words)
Changes in potential regulatory elements are thought to be key drivers of phenotypic divergence. However, identifying changes to regulatory elements that underlie human-specific traits has proven very challenging. Here, we use 63 reconstructed and experimentally measured DNA methylation maps of ancient and present-day humans, as well as of six chimpanzees, to detect differentially methylated regions that likely emerged in modern humans after the split from Neanderthals and Denisovans. We show that genes associated with face and vocal tract anatomy went through particularly extensive methylation changes. Specifically, we identify widespread hypermethylation in a network of face- and voice-associated genes (SOX9, ACAN, COL2A1, NFIX and XYLT1). We propose that these repression patterns appeared after the split from Neanderthals and Denisovans, and that they might have played a key role in shaping the modern human face and vocal tract.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 32132541 · DOI · PMC7055320
Music Therapy and Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review from 2015-2020 [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Parkinson's disease can be approached from various points of view, one of which is music therapy-a complementary therapy to a pharmacological one.
- Closing excerpt
- It was concluded that music therapy programs can achieve improvements in various areas of patients with Parkinson's.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (188 words)
Parkinson's disease can be approached from various points of view, one of which is music therapy-a complementary therapy to a pharmacological one. This work aims to compile the scientific evidence published in the last five years (2015-2020) on the effects of music therapy in patients with Parkinson's disease. A systematic review has been performed using the Web of Science and Scopus databases with the descriptors "music therapy" and "Parkinson's disease". A total of 281 eligible articles were identified, which, after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, were reduced to 58 papers. The results display a great diversity of evidence, confirming positive effects on various spheres. All mentioned patients with Parkinson's disease had experienced different music therapy programs. Some studies focused on the motor component, which can be addressed through listening, body rhythm, and rhythmic auditory stimulation. Other studies confirm effects on communication, swallowing, breathing, and the emotional aspect through programs that focus on singing, either individually or in groups, in order to improve the quality of life of people with PD. It was concluded that music therapy programs can achieve improvements in various areas of patients with Parkinson's.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 34770129 · DOI · PMC8582661
Vocal music enhances memory and language recovery after stroke: pooled results from two RCTs [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- ObjectivePrevious studies suggest that daily music listening can aid stroke recovery, but little is known about the stimulus-dependent and neural mechanisms driving this effect.
- Closing excerpt
- The rehabilitative effects of vocal music are driven by both structural and functional plasticity changes in temporoparietal networks crucial for emotional processing, language, and memory.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (236 words)
ObjectivePrevious studies suggest that daily music listening can aid stroke recovery, but little is known about the stimulus-dependent and neural mechanisms driving this effect. Building on neuroimaging evidence that vocal music engages extensive and bilateral networks in the brain, we sought to determine if it would be more effective for enhancing cognitive and language recovery and neuroplasticity than instrumental music or speech after stroke.MethodsUsing data pooled from two single-blind randomized controlled trials in stroke patients (N = 83), we compared the effects of daily listening to self-selected vocal music, instrumental music, and audiobooks during the first 3 poststroke months. Outcome measures comprised neuropsychological tests of verbal memory (primary outcome), language, and attention and a mood questionnaire performed at acute, 3-month, and 6-month stages and structural and functional MRI at acute and 6-month stages.ResultsListening to vocal music enhanced verbal memory recovery more than instrumental music or audiobooks and language recovery more than audiobooks, especially in aphasic patients. Voxel-based morphometry and resting-state and task-based fMRI results showed that vocal music listening selectively increased gray matter volume in left temporal areas and functional connectivity in the default mode network.InterpretationVocal music listening is an effective and easily applicable tool to support cognitive recovery after stroke as well as to enhance early language recovery in aphasia. The rehabilitative effects of vocal music are driven by both structural and functional plasticity changes in temporoparietal networks crucial for emotional processing, language, and memory.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 33022148 · DOI · PMC7664275
In vivo insights into irregular voice production as a complex nonlinear system-a case study [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- The human voice exhibits diverse expressions, primarily generated by the regular oscillatory movement of both vocal folds.
- Closing excerpt
- Based on the in vivo data, we identified various nonlinear phenomena of different categories that include synchronized oscillations with defined frequency ratios, bifurcations, biphonations and chaotic oscillations.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (168 words)
The human voice exhibits diverse expressions, primarily generated by the regular oscillatory movement of both vocal folds. However, further vocal tract structures can also oscillate, as observed in different singing styles, supraglottic voice substitutes and functional voice disorders. To describe the spectrum of irregular phonation types from a nonlinear systems perspective, we conducted in vivo investigations with a professional metal singer using transnasal high-speed digital imaging combined with electroglottography and acoustic data. Here, we analysed 10 distinct voice qualities. Some of these show oscillatory mechanisms characterized by nearly periodic patterns that differ in three key aspects: the ratio of glottal to supraglottic oscillations, their behaviour during the glissando and the oscillating structures primarily involved. Both reduced glottal adduction and increased glottal and supraglottic compression contribute to a greater degree of irregularity. The supraglottic oscillations can coexist with various glottal oscillation mechanisms. Based on the in vivo data, we identified various nonlinear phenomena of different categories that include synchronized oscillations with defined frequency ratios, bifurcations, biphonations and chaotic oscillations.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 40799051 · DOI · PMC12344453
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Meta-analyzing left hemisphere language areas: phonology, semantics, and sentence processing [5]
- Research article Pathophysiology and treatment of muscle tension dysphonia: a review of the current knowledge [6]
- Research article Toward a Consensus Description of Vocal Effort, Vocal Load, Vocal Loading, and Vocal Fatigue [7]
- Research article Mechanical stress in phonation [8]
- Research article The contribution(s) of the insula to speech production: a review of the clinical and functional imaging literature [9]
- Research article Phonetic diversity, statistical learning, and acquisition of phonology [10]
References
- Gokhman D, Nissim-Rafinia M, Agranat-Tamir L, Housman G, García-Pérez R, Lizano E, et al.. Differential DNA methylation of vocal and facial anatomy genes in modern humans. . 2020. PMID 32132541 · DOI · PMC7055320
- Machado Sotomayor MJ, Arufe-Giráldez V, Ruíz-Rico G, Navarro-Patón R. Music Therapy and Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review from 2015-2020. . 2021. PMID 34770129 · DOI · PMC8582661
- Sihvonen AJ, Leo V, Ripollés P, Lehtovaara T, Ylönen A, Rajanaro P, et al.. Vocal music enhances memory and language recovery after stroke: pooled results from two RCTs. . 2020. PMID 33022148 · DOI · PMC7664275
- Traser L, Fleischer M, Priegnitz D, Stritt F, Köberlein M, Kirsch J, et al.. In vivo insights into irregular voice production as a complex nonlinear system-a case study. . 2025. PMID 40799051 · DOI · PMC12344453
- Vigneau M, Vigneau M, Beaucousin V, Hervé PY, Duffau H, Crivello F, et al.. Meta-analyzing left hemisphere language areas: phonology, semantics, and sentence processing. Neuroimage. 2006. PMID 16413796 · DOI
- Van Houtte E, Van Lierde K, Claeys S. Pathophysiology and treatment of muscle tension dysphonia: a review of the current knowledge. J Voice. 2011. PMID 20400263 · DOI
- Hunter EJ, Cantor-Cutiva LC, van Leer E, van Mersbergen M, Nanjundeswaran CD, Bottalico P, et al.. Toward a Consensus Description of Vocal Effort, Vocal Load, Vocal Loading, and Vocal Fatigue. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2020. PMID 32078404 · DOI · PMC7210446
- Titze IR. Mechanical stress in phonation. J Voice. 1994. PMID 8061776 · DOI
- Ackermann H, Riecker A. The contribution(s) of the insula to speech production: a review of the clinical and functional imaging literature. Brain Struct Funct. 2010. PMID 20512374 · DOI
- Pierrehumbert JB. Phonetic diversity, statistical learning, and acquisition of phonology. Lang Speech. 2003. PMID 14748442 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-31.
See how EvidenceLib is built. Spotted an error? Email support@evidencehelix.com.
Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.