Examining Therapy Duration in Adults With Voice Disorders

Area of Science:

• Speech and Hearing Sciences
• Otolaryngology
• Voice Science

Background:

• Voice disorders affect a significant number of adults, impacting communication and quality of life.
• Understanding the duration and predictors of voice therapy is crucial for effective patient management and resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the average number of voice therapy sessions required for adults to achieve desired voice outcomes.
• To identify factors predicting the duration of voice therapy.
• To assess the rate of patient return for additional voice therapy after initial discharge.

Main Methods:

• An observational cohort study analyzed data from 558 patients with various voice disorders.
• Data included patient demographics, clinical assessments (auditory-perceptual, acoustics, aerodynamics, videostroboscopy), and self-reported scales.
• Specific diagnoses included muscle tension dysphonia, vocal fold paralysis, benign vocal fold lesions, laryngospasm/irritable larynx, and presbyphonia.

Main Results:

• Patients required an average of 5.32 therapy sessions for sufficient voice improvement.
• Therapy duration varied by diagnosis, from 4.3 sessions for presbyphonia to 6.7 for benign vocal fold lesions.
• Predictive factors for session number included baseline voice ratings (GRBAS, DSI, VHI), age, and occupational voice use.

Conclusions:

• This study provides benchmarks for voice therapy duration needed to achieve voice outcomes.
• Further research is necessary to optimize voice treatment efficacy and prevent dysphonia recurrence.