Improvement in Acoustic Voice Characteristics in Functional Dysphonia After Therapy

University of Zurich50 enrolled

Overview

In a retrospective analysis of already existing clinical assessment data from patients with functional voice disorders the following aspects will be sampled, encoded and analysed: Outcomes pre and post treatment of 1. subjective voice symptoms measured by Voice Handicap Index (VHI-9i), 2. perceptual voice symptoms according to Grading-Roughness-Breathiness-Asthenia-Strain Scale (GRBAS Scale), 3. instrumental acoustic analysis parameters Jitter (%), speaking voice profile: mean and range of speaking pitch and intensity, max. intensity and mean pitch of calling voice, singing voice: min./max. and range of pitch and intensity, maximum phonation time, Dysphonia Severity Index (DSI).

Study Type

OBSERVATIONAL

Enrollment

Conditions

Functional Voice Disorder

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 20 YearsMax age: 70 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * informed consent; patients 20 to 70 years with functional voice disorder; -diagnostics and voice therapy at University Hospital Zurich; * full pre- and post treatment voice assessment (videostroboscopy, subjective self- assessment, instrumental acoustic and perceptual analysis). Exclusion Criteria: * known neurologic and psychiatric disease, * hearing disorder, * surgery of the head and neck area or intubation (for any reason) in last 18 months.

Locations (1)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Instrumental acoustic voice parameters

Instrumental acoustic parameters are determined by a computer-assisted analysis of voice recordings. In the present study the following parameters are measured before and after voice therapy: Jitter % (deviation of fundamental frequency), mean and range of speaking pitch and intensity, maximum intensity and mean pitch of calling voice, minimum and max. and range of pitch and intensity of the singing voice, and the composite measure Dysphonia Severity Index (DSI).

Time frame: Before (initial diagnosis) and after voice therapy, expected average of 11-20 weeks after initial diagnosis)

Secondary Outcomes

Subjective voice symptoms

Subjective voice symptoms are measured before and after voice therapy by the patient questionnaire "Voice Handicap Index" (VHI-9i).

Time frame: Before (initial diagnosis) and after voice therapy, expected average of 11-20 weeks after initial diagnosis)

Perceptual voice symptoms

Perceptual (hearable) voice symptoms are determined by the examiner before and after voice therapy using GRBAS Scale (Grading-Roughness-Breathiness-Asthenia-Strain Scale).

Time frame: Before (initial diagnosis) and after voice therapy, expected average of 11-20 weeks after initial diagnosis)