Glottal Features in Vocal Assessment Following Thyroidectomy.

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Acoustic Analysis

Background:

• Vocal dysfunction is a common complication after thyroidectomy, negatively affecting patients' quality of life.
• While acoustic features of voice have been studied, glottal flow characteristics post-thyroidectomy remain under-researched.
• Objective assessment of vocal outcomes following thyroid surgery is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate early and short-term vocal outcomes after thyroidectomy.
• To analyze glottal acoustic features during speech production to assess vocal changes.
• To establish the reliability of glottal feature analysis for detecting post-thyroidectomy vocal dysfunction.

Main Methods:

• Prospective analytical study of 39 patients undergoing thyroidectomy.
• Glottal flow features (e.g., Open Quotients, Speed Quotients) extracted from vocal recordings pre-surgery and at Day 1 and Month 1 post-surgery.
• Signal processing techniques used for feature extraction and analysis.

Main Results:

• Significant decreases observed in Open Quotient 2 (OQ2) and Quasi-open quotient (QoQ) at Day 1 and Month 1.
• Significant decreases in Open Quotient 1 (OQ1) and Normalized Amplitude Quotient (NAQ) at Month 1.
• Decreased Speed Quotient 2 (SQ2) significantly at both Day 1 and Month 1; this correlated with increased Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10).

Conclusions:

• Glottal acoustic feature analysis is a reliable method for detecting vocal changes post-thyroidectomy.
• Thyroidectomy is associated with vocal dysfunction, characterized by reduced open, amplitude, and speed quotients.
• Glottal features provide an objective tool to assess the impact of thyroidectomy on vocal fold dynamics.