Maximum Phonation Times as Biomarkers of Lung Function

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Biomarkers

Background:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) significantly impacts respiratory function.
• Vocal function can be affected by systemic diseases like COPD.
• Identifying non-invasive biomarkers for pulmonary function is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if maximal phonation times (MPT) are biomarkers of forced vital capacity (FVC) in COPD patients.
• To characterize vocal aspects in COPD patients.
• To explore correlations between vocal parameters and clinical variables (age, BMI, medication, symptoms, quality of life).

Main Methods:

• Assessed 25 COPD patients (age 31-85) for FVC, MPT (/a/), numerical counting, Vocal Symptom Scale, and Voice Quality of Life.
• Employed descriptive statistics and inferential tests (Student's t, Mann-Whitney U).
• Utilized ROC curve analysis; FVC <80% defined pulmonary dysfunction.

Main Results:

• COPD patients showed reduced MPT (/a/), numerical counting duration, and digits reached.
• Significant discrepancies were noted in Vocal Symptom Scale and Voice Quality of Life scores.
• Numerical counting times ≤12.5 seconds suggested impaired FVC.

Conclusions:

• COPD patients exhibit vocal deviations, including reduced MPT and impaired numerical counting.
• Vocal self-assessment scores also indicated deviations.
• MPT, particularly during numerical counting, is a potential biomarker for pulmonary function impairment in COPD.