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Updated: Jul 24, 2025

Simultaneous Laryngopharyngeal and Conventional Esophageal pH Monitoring
Published on: December 14, 2020
Proton Pump Inhibitor-unresponsive Laryngeal Symptoms Are Associated With Psychological Comorbidities and Sleep
Wen-Hsuan Tseng1,2, Wei-Chung Hsu1,3, Tsung-Lin Yang1,2
1Departments of Otolaryngology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Background/Aims:
Laryngeal symptoms are largely treated with empiric proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy if no apparent pathology shown on ear, nose, and throat evaluation and reflux-related etiologies are suspected. However, treatment response remains unsatisfactory. This study aimed to investigate the clinical and physiological characteristics of patients with PPI-refractory laryngeal symptoms.
Methods:
Patients with persistent laryngeal symptoms despite PPI treatment for ≥ 8 weeks were recruited. A multidisciplinary evaluation comprising validated questionnaires for laryngeal symptoms (reflux symptom index [RSI]), gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms, psychological comorbidity (5-item brief symptom rating scale [BSRS-5]) and sleep disturbance (Pittsburgh sleep quality index [PSQI]), esophagogastroduodenoscopy, ambulatory impedance-pH monitoring, and high-resolution impedance manometry were performed. Healthy asymptomatic individuals were also recruited for comparison of psychological morbidity and sleep disturbances.
Results:
Ninety-seven adult patients and 48 healthy volunteers were analyzed. The patients had markedly higher prevalence of psychological distress (52.6% vs 2.1%, P < 0.001) and sleep disturbance (82.5% vs 37.5%, P < 0.001) than the healthy volunteers. There were significant correlations between RSI and BSRS-5 scores, and between RSI and PSQI scores (r = 0.26, P = 0.010, and r = 0.29, P = 0.004, respectively). Fifty-eight patients had concurrent gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms. They had more prominent sleep disturbances (89.7% vs 71.8%, P < 0.001) than those with laryngeal symptoms alone but similar reflux profiles and esophageal motility.
Conclusions:
PPI-refractory laryngeal symptoms are mostly associated with psychological comorbidities and sleep disturbances. Recognition of these psychosocial comorbidities may help optimize management in these patients.
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