Vitamin D level in relation to phonetic function among subacute stroke patients

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Stroke frequently leads to dysphonia, impacting patients' quality of life.
• Vitamin D deficiency is common in stroke survivors and linked to muscle weakness and functional decline.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between serum vitamin D levels and phonation function in subacute stroke patients.
• To determine if vitamin D deficiency is a predictor of voice impairment severity post-stroke.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 32 subacute stroke patients with dysphonia.
• Phonation function assessed via acoustic analysis, including the Dysphonia Severity Index (DSI) and maximum phonation time for vowels.
• Statistical evaluation using Pearson's correlation and linear regression analysis.

Main Results:

• A positive correlation was observed between serum vitamin D levels and the DSI for all tested vowels (/a/, /u/, /i/, /ae/).
• Patients with vitamin D deficiency exhibited significantly lower DSI scores for the vowel /u/.
• Serum vitamin D levels demonstrated a significant association with overall phonation function.

Conclusions:

• Serum vitamin D levels are associated with phonation function in subacute stroke patients.
• Vitamin D deficiency may serve as a predictive factor for the severity of voice impairment following a stroke.