Correlation of the Iranian Voice Quality of Life Profile (IVQLP) with Acoustic Measurements across Three Common Voice Disorders

Background: Previous studies have documented the effectiveness of voice therapy in terms of voice quality outcomes rather than quality of life outcomes. Objective: To compare the quality of life among patients with voice disorders, before and after voice therapy. Methods: Thirty-six patients with voice disorders who visited the Speech Clinic at Ramathibodi Hospital from March 2013 to January 2015 were enrolled. Thirty minutes per session within 10 weeks period of voice therapy program were used. The voice therapy approaches included direct and indirect therapy. The outcomes of this study were measured using Dr. Speech software version 5 for acoustic analysis and the Voice Handicap Index in Thai version for quality of life. Data was analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics (Paired t test). Results: The total participants were 36 patients with a mean age of 51.31 years. They were divided to 4 groups according to the causes of voice disorders that were 18 patients for structural cause, 8 patients for functional cause, 6 patients for neurological cause, and 4 patients for inflammatory cause. The results for both voice quality and quality of life after voice therapy improved and showed statistically significant differences (P < .05). The patients with all causes of voice disorders were statistically significant differences in total the Voice Handicap Index scores (P < .05). Moreover the structural causes group exhibited statistically significant differences in all subscales (P < .05) but the others causes groups were not statistically significant differences in emotional subscale for functional causes, physical subscale for neurological causes, and functional subscale for inflammatory cause (P > .05) Conclusions: Voice therapy might be an effective treatment to decrease the severity of voice disorders in role of voice quality and quality of life, especially voice disorders from structural causes.

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A comparative study of the voice-related quality of life among Egyptian elderly with and without voice complaints

The Egyptian Journal of Otolaryngology ◽

10.1186/s43163-020-00051-z ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 36 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Nesreen Fathi Mahmoud ◽

Huda Zahran ◽

Sherif Abdelmonam

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Elderly Population ◽

Life Quality ◽

Voice Disorders ◽

The Elderly ◽

Different Types ◽

Related Quality ◽

The Impact ◽

The Voice

Abstract Background This study focuses on the self-perception of the voice in the elderly as assessed by the Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL) questionnaire. This work aimed to compare differences in the voice-related quality of life outcomes between (1) elderly with and without voice disorders, (2) female and male elderly with voice disorders, and (3) different types of voice disorders, and to explore the correlation between the V-RQOL and perceptual analysis done by the clinician. Forty-three dysphonic and 44 non-dysphonic elderly filled out the Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL) protocol that analyzes the impact of dysphonia on life quality. Vocal perceptual assessment of each subject with dysphonia was made by three voice therapists, followed by a flexible nasofibrolaryngoscope. Results A significant statistical difference was found between the means of total V-RQOL scores and its subdomains for each group (dysphonic and non-dysphonic). No significant differences were found between male and female elderly with dysphonia. The statistical analysis showed a significant correlation with the vocal assessment made by the clinicians and the V-RQOL self-assessment made by the subjects. Conclusions This study provides valuable information regarding the risk factors that contribute to vocal quality in the elderly population. Our results revealed that different types of voice disorders are common among the elderly population with significant negative effects on quality of life. It was observed that the poorest score on the V-RQOL was for functional voice disorders, followed by neoplastic lesions, whereas MAPLs had the best score on the V-RQOL.

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A Randomized Controlled Trial of Two Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract Voice Therapy Protocols

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2015_jslhr-s-13-0231 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 58 (3) ◽

pp. 535-549 ◽

Cited By ~ 55

Author(s):

Mara R. Kapsner-Smith ◽

Eric J. Hunter ◽

Kimberly Kirkham ◽

Karin Cox ◽

Ingo R. Titze

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Vocal Tract ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Voice Quality ◽

Voice Handicap Index ◽

Voice Therapy ◽

Control Group ◽

Perceptual Evaluation ◽

Therapy Program

PurposeAlthough there is a long history of use of semi-occluded vocal tract gestures in voice therapy, including phonation through thin tubes or straws, the efficacy of phonation through tubes has not been established. This study compares results from a therapy program on the basis of phonation through a flow-resistant tube (FRT) with Vocal Function Exercises (VFE), an established set of exercises that utilize oral semi-occlusions.MethodTwenty subjects (16 women, 4 men) with dysphonia and/or vocal fatigue were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatment conditions: (a) immediate FRT therapy, (b) immediate VFE therapy, (c) delayed FRT therapy, or (d) delayed VFE therapy. Subjects receiving delayed therapy served as a no-treatment control group.ResultsVoice Handicap Index (Jacobson et al., 1997) scores showed significant improvement for both treatment groups relative to the no-treatment group. Comparison of the effect sizes suggests FRT therapy is noninferior to VFE in terms of reduction in Voice Handicap Index scores. Significant reductions in Roughness on the Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (Kempster, Gerratt, Verdolini Abbott, Barkmeier-Kraemer, & Hillman, 2009) were found for the FRT subjects, with no other significant voice quality findings.ConclusionsVFE and FRT therapy may improve voice quality of life in some individuals with dysphonia. FRT therapy was noninferior to VFE in improving voice quality of life in this study.

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Interaction of Speech Coders and Atypical Speech II

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/1092-4388(2002/055) ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 45 (4) ◽

pp. 689-699 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Donald G. Jamieson ◽

Vijay Parsa ◽

Moneca C. Price ◽

James Till

Keyword(s):

Communication Systems ◽

Speech Rate ◽

Voice Quality ◽

Voice Disorders ◽

Normal Hearing ◽

Speech Quality ◽

Degraded Speech ◽

Before And After ◽

Subband Processing

We investigated how standard speech coders, currently used in modern communication systems, affect the quality of the speech of persons who have common speech and voice disorders. Three standardized speech coders (GSM 6.10 RPELTP, FS1016 CELP, and FS1015 LPC) and two speech coders based on subband processing were evaluated for their performance. Coder effects were assessed by measuring the quality of speech samples both before and after processing by the speech coders. Speech quality was rated by 10 listeners with normal hearing on 28 different scales representing pitch and loudness changes, speech rate, laryngeal and resonatory dysfunction, and coder-induced distortions. Results showed that (a) nine scale items were consistently and reliably rated by the listeners; (b) all coders degraded speech quality on these nine scales, with the GSM and CELP coders providing the better quality speech; and (c) interactions between coders and individual voices did occur on several voice quality scales.

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Voice Disorders in Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and the Role of CPAP

Annals of Otology Rhinology & Laryngology ◽

10.1177/0003489418819541 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 128 (3) ◽

pp. 249-262 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Nelson Roy ◽

Ray M. Merrill ◽

Jenny Pierce ◽

Krishna M. Sundar

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Obstructive Sleep Apnea ◽

Sleep Apnea ◽

Voice Disorders ◽

Acid Reflux ◽

Voice Disorder ◽

Apnea Hypopnea Index ◽

Obstructive Sleep ◽

A Current

Objective: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by frequent interruptions in breathing related to upper airway collapse during sleep and may adversely affect phonatory function. This study aimed to: (1) establish the prevalence, risks, and quality of life burden of voice disorders in OSA and (2) explore the relation between voice disorders and positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy. Study Design: Cross-sectional, descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: Analyses were based on 94 individuals with OSA (53 men, 41 women; mean age = 54.7 ± 12.8 years) who completed a telephone interview. Results: Twenty-eight percent of participants reported having a current voice disorder. Of those with a current voice disorder, 83% had experienced symptoms for at least a year, and 58% had symptoms for at least 4 years. The prevalence of a current voice disorder was greater in women than men (44% vs 15%, P = .0020) but did not vary significantly across different age groups, body mass index (BMI), apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) severity, or medical history. After adjusting for sex, consistent use of PAP therapy (with humidification) was associated with (1) lower occurrence of voice disorders in women (Mantel-Haenszel [MH] χ2 P = .0195), (2) reduced snoring severity accompanied by fewer voice disorders in men (MH χ2 P = .0101), and (3) fewer reports of acid reflux as a possible trigger for voice problems (MH χ2 P = .0226). Patients with OSA who also had a current voice disorder experienced lower overall quality of life compared to those without. Conclusions: Chronic, longstanding voice disorders are common in women with OSA and produce significant adverse effects on quality of life. Nightly PAP use (with humidification) was associated with fewer voice symptoms and reduced severity of snoring and acid reflux as possible contributors. Further research is necessary to better understand the origin of these voice disorders in OSA and their potential response to treatment.

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Self-perception of quality of life in patients with functional voice disorders: the effects of psychological and vocal acoustic variables

European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology ◽

10.1007/s00405-018-5090-5 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 275 (11) ◽

pp. 2745-2754

Author(s):

Mafalda Andrea ◽

Mario Andrea ◽

Maria Luísa Figueira

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Voice Disorders ◽

Self Perception ◽

Perception Of Quality

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The Effects of Endoscopic Sinus Surgery on Voice Characteristics in Chronic Rhinosinusitis Patients

Annals of Otology Rhinology & Laryngology ◽

10.1177/0003489419861124 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 128 (12) ◽

pp. 1129-1133

Author(s):

Danny B. Jandali ◽

Ashwin Ganti ◽

Inna A. Husain ◽

Pete S. Batra ◽

Bobby A. Tajudeen

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Chronic Rhinosinusitis ◽

Endoscopic Sinus Surgery ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Voice Quality ◽

Upper Airway ◽

Sinus Surgery ◽

Perceptual Evaluation ◽

Snot 22

Objectives: Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) is a standard treatment modality for patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) who have failed appropriate medical therapy. However, FESS entails modification of the upper airway tract that may alter phonatory resonance and produce voice changes. The effects of FESS on postoperative voice characteristics in patients with CRS have yet to be quantitatively assessed. Methods: Patients with severe CRS who underwent FESS at a tertiary care referral center between May and October 2017 were prospectively enrolled. The Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-V) and the Voice Handicap Index (VHI) were used to quantitatively evaluate voice characteristics and quality of life, respectively. Preoperative and postoperative CAPE-V and VHI scores were compared with postoperative scores for each patient. Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) scores were also obtained to assess changes in patient symptoms. Results: 18 CRS patients undergoing FESS were enrolled. The average preoperative Lund-Mackay score was 14, indicating baseline severe CRS. Postoperative assessments demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in CAPE-V (45-27, p = .005) and VHI (10-4.7, p < .001) scores. These correlated with a statistically significant decrease in SNOT-22 scores (42-13, p < .001). Conclusions: Patients with CRS experience a significant improvement in voice characteristics and vocal quality of life following FESS. Furthermore, this appears to correlate with a significant decrease in self-reported disease severity. These findings may augment the discussion of potential benefits of FESS to a new potential domain for voice quality.

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