The Effectiveness of the Comprehensive Voice Rehabilitation Program Compared With the Vocal Function Exercises Method...

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Functional dysphonia affects voice professionals, impacting their quality of life.
• Established voice therapies aim to improve vocal function and reduce voice-related disability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of the Comprehensive Voice Rehabilitation Program (CVRP) against Vocal Function Exercises (VFEs) for treating functional dysphonia.

Main Methods:

• A randomized blinded clinical trial involving 80 voice professionals with functional dysphonia.
• Participants were assigned to either CVRP or VFE groups, undergoing six treatment and three assessment sessions.
• Outcomes included self-assessment (V-RQOL, VHI), perceptual vocal quality, and blinded laryngeal examination.

Main Results:

• Both CVRP and VFE groups showed positive outcomes.
• CVRP demonstrated larger effect sizes across all measures (V-RQOL, VHI, perceptual, laryngeal) compared to VFE.
• High patient retention (90%) ensured reliable results.

Conclusions:

• Both CVRP and VFE are effective treatments for functional dysphonia.
• The study suggests comparable probabilities of patient improvement between CVRP and VFE.