Current Trends in the Assessment and Management of Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis Among Practicing Speech Language...

The present study aimed to empirically document the current clinical practices of speech language pathologists (SLPs) on assessment and management of unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) across India.

The authors developed a questionnaire comprised of five sections, namely demographic details, experience with UVFP, voice assessment methods in UVFP, behavioral voice management strategies in UVFP, and clinical implications of electrical stimulation (ES) in UVFP. The final questionnaire, following content validation, comprised 53 questions. Using this questionnaire, an online survey was carried out among SLPs regarding the assessment and management of individuals with UVFP.

Responses from 74 SLPs working with UVFP across India were analyzed. The participants reported that direct flexible laryngoscopy was the most commonly used procedure to diagnose individuals with UVFP, followed by videostroboscopy. Also, SLPs (90.54%) reported that auditory perceptual evaluation was the most common assessment option employed in clinical practice to evaluate individuals with UVFP. The majority of the participants were using multiparametric voice measures to document the improvement with voice therapy. Most of our study participants (68.92%) reported that voice therapy would be initiated within the first 4 weeks post-onset. Our respondents reported that frequently used voice therapy techniques for individuals with UVFP were breathing exercises, vocal hygiene, head turn, and vocal function exercises. Though most participants were aware of the use of ES for patients with UVFP, only 4.82% of the participants used it in day-to-day clinical activities.

Nearly half of the participants are using a multiparametric voice measure to assess individuals with UVFP in India. Also, there is a lack of uniformity in the selection of voice therapy techniques, duration, and frequency of sessions for the management of individuals with UVFP. The survey suggests the need for SLPs to update their knowledge regarding the recent literature and incorporate this knowledge to their day-to-day clinical practices.