Instrumental Voice Evaluation in Children: What Are We Getting?

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Pediatric Voice Disorders

Background:

• Pediatric voice disorders require accurate diagnosis through instrumental assessments.
• Videostroboscopy, acoustic, and aerodynamic assessments are crucial for evaluating vocal fold function.
• Determining the minimum age for reliable completion of these assessments in children is essential for clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish the age at which children with voice disorders can successfully complete videostroboscopy, acoustic, and aerodynamic voice assessments.
• To identify factors that predict successful completion of videostroboscopy in pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective observational cohort study of 312 children with voice disorders.
• Children categorized into age groups: 3-4, 5-6, 7-9, 10-12, and 13-17 years.
• Data collected included demographics, diagnoses, symptoms, vocal fold oscillation ratings, clinician experience, and instrumental voice measures.

Main Results:

• Videostroboscopy completion rates significantly increased with age, from 17% in 3-4 year olds to 93.1% in those 13 years and older.
• Age and the ability to perform voice range profile and aerodynamic tasks were significant predictors of videostroboscopy tolerance.
• Children aged 5 and above showed improved ability to complete acoustic and aerodynamic assessments.

Conclusions:

• Videostroboscopy is a viable assessment tool for young children with voice disorders, particularly those aged 10 and above.
• Successful completion of aerodynamic and voice range profile tasks may indicate a child's ability to tolerate videostroboscopy.
• Further research is needed to optimize methods for improving children's tolerance of instrumental voice assessments.