Clinical implementation of a multidimensional basic protocol for assessing functional results of voice therapy. A...

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Speech and Language Pathology
• Acoustic Analysis

Background:

• Functional voice therapy is indicated for patients with benign vocal fold pathologies and muscle tension disorders.
• Assessing the functional outcomes of voice therapy requires a multidimensional protocol.
• The Committee on Phoniatrics of the ELS developed a basic protocol for evaluating voice treatment results.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a multidimensional protocol for assessing functional voice therapy results.
• To analyze the functional outcomes of voice therapy in patients with benign vocal fold pathologies and muscle tension disorders.

Main Methods:

• 45 patients with benign voice pathologies underwent 4-26 sessions of functional voice therapy.
• Pre- and post-therapy assessments included perceptual (GRBAS scale), acoustic (Jitter, Shimmer, Fo-range, intensity), videostroboscopic (glottal closure, regularity, mucosal wave, symmetry), phonation quotient, and patient self-ratings.
• Data were analyzed to assess interindividual and interdimensional variability in treatment outcomes.

Main Results:

• Significant interindividual and interdimensional variability was observed in voice therapy outcomes.
• In some patients, one vocal dimension improved while another worsened.
• The five assessed dimensions (perceptual, acoustic, videostroboscopic, phonation quotient, self-rating) demonstrated low redundancy.

Conclusions:

• The multidimensional protocol effectively captures the varied functional results of voice therapy.
• Voice therapy outcomes are highly individualized, necessitating tailored assessment and treatment approaches.
• The low redundancy among dimensions suggests comprehensive evaluation is crucial for understanding treatment efficacy.