Task specificity in adductor spasmodic dysphonia versus muscle tension dysphonia

OBJECTIVES: Adductor spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD) has been characterized as a "task specific" laryngeal dystonia, meaning that the severity of dysphonia varies depending on the demands of the vocal task. Voice produced in connected speech as compared with sustained vowels is said to provoke more frequent and severe laryngeal spasms. This study examined the diagnostic value of "task specificity" as a marker of ADSD and its potential to differentiate ADSD from muscle tension dysphonia (MTD), a functional voice disorder that can often masquerade as ADSD. STUDY DESIGN: Case-control study. METHODS: Five listeners, blinded to the purpose of the study, used a 10 cm visual analogue scale to rate dysphonia severity of subjects with ADSD (n = 36) and MTD (n = 45) producing either connected speech or a sustained vowel "ah."RESULTS: In ADSD, dysphonia severity for connected speech (M = 6.22 cm, SD = 2.56) was rated significantly more severe than sustained vowel productions (M = 4.8 cm, SD = 2.8 [t (35) = 3.67, P < .001]). In MTD, however, no significant difference in severity was observed for the connected speech sample (M = 5.98 cm, SD = 2.83 versus the sustained vowel M = 5.86 cm, SD = 2.87 [t (44) = 0.378, P = .707]). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, an index of the accuracy of task specificity as a diagnostic marker, revealed that a 1 cm difference criterion correctly identified 53% of ADSD cases (sensitivity) and 76% of MTD cases (specificity) (chi2 (1) = 6.88, P = .0087). CONCLUSIONS: Reduced dysphonia severity during sustained vowels supports task specificity in ADSD but not MTD and highlights a valuable diagnostic marker whose recognition should contribute to improved diagnostic precision.     

Laryngeal electromyography in adults with Parkinson's disease and voice complaints

OBJECTIVE: To study the laryngeal electromyography (LEMG) pattern in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and vocal complaints. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Twenty-six adults with PD and vocal complaints and 26 controls with presbyphonia underwent videolaryngoscopy (VL) and LEMG. RESULTS: No tremor was found on LEMG of the cricothyroid and thyroarytenoid muscles, even in cases with clinical and VL tremor. LEMG hypertonicity during voice rest was the typical feature observed in 73% of the patients with PD versus 23% of the controls. This difference was statistically significant. The severity of the disease, diagnosis, and the time of treatment did not correlate with LEMG findings. CONCLUSION: This is the first study reporting the use of LEMG in a large series of patients with PD and vocal complaints. Patients with PD presented spontaneous intrinsic laryngeal muscle activity during voice rest. SIGNIFICANCE: The typical patterns in LEMG suggest this to be a valuable diagnostic tool in PD.     

The clinical features of functional dysphonia

OBJECTIVE: This report aims to study the prevalence of features of laryngeal muscle tension in a population of patients with functional dysphonia (FD) and nondysphonic control subjects. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective control-blinded, cross-sectional study. METHODS: We reported on a prospective control-blinded, cross-sectional study of the prevalence of the six features described by Van Lawrence and the six features incorporated in the Morrison-Rammage classification. A senior laryngologist and senior speech pathologist independently rated sound-free, random-sequence video laryngoscopies of 51 patients with FD and 52 nondysphonic control subjects. Assessments were made of the presence or absence of the 12 laryngoscopic features of laryngeal dysfunction, and an overall rating made of the vocal technique as "normal" or "abnormal." RESULTS: More than 60% of the control population demonstrated 1 or more of the 12 features of hyperfunction. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of the six Van Lawrence features, the six Morrison-Rammage features, or the total number of abnormal features between patients with FD and control subjects. On overall assessment, both assessors noted a high prevalence (50% and 36%, respectively) of abnormal vocal technique in the control population. There was no statistical difference in the total number of abnormal features observed between patients with FD and control subjects. Positive predictive value calculations showed that the presence of a clinical feature, at best, presented a 75% chance of correctly identifying a patient with FD and, at worst, a 50% chance. CONCLUSION: The laryngoscopy features commonly associated with FD are frequently prevalent in the nondysphonic population and fail to distinguish patients with FD from normal subjects.     

The effectiveness of voice therapy for patients with non-organic dysphonia

Forty-five patients diagnosed as having non-organic dysphonia were assigned in rotation to one of three groups. Patients in one group received no treatment and acted as a control group. Patients in the other two groups received a programme of either ‘indirect’ therapy or ‘direct with indirect’ therapy, respectively. A self-report questionnaire of vocal performance, observed ratings of voice quality, and computer-derived acoustic measurements (signal-to-noise ratio, pitch perturbation and amplitude perturbation) were carried out on all patients before and after treatment to evaluate the changes in voice quality over time. There was a significant difference between the three groups on the self-report questionnaire, voice quality ratings and pitch perturbation measurements (P = < 0.05). Thirteen out of 15 control patients showed no significant change on any of the measures. Seven patients who received indirect treatment showed significant improvement in voice quality following treatment. Fourteen out of 15 patients who received direct treatment showed significant improvement in voice quality.     

室性发音障碍的误诊分析

目的总结室性发音障碍的临床特征及误诊原因。方法回顾性分析10例被误诊的室性发音障碍病例的性别、年龄、职业、临床嗓音表现、检查结果及治疗方法。结果 10例被误诊的病例中,代偿型8例,被误诊为声带炎、慢性喉炎及声带闭合不全等;肥厚型2例被误诊为慢性喉炎和声带息肉。通过发音治疗、手术治疗及药物治疗后室性发音障碍均消失。结论室性发音障碍在临床上不多见,临床症状也不典型,容易被误诊为其他嗓音疾病,需要做详细的喉镜检查和嗓音分析。     

Patient-reported problems associated with dysphonia

In the UK there has been little assessment of the efficacy of therapy for patients with dysphonia. Current objective assessment methods (e.g. acoustical analysis) do not correlate well with patient symptoms. Existing subjective measures are based on clinical impression. To date, no measure has been based on the patient’s experience and the aim of this study was to explore the difficulties that patients encounter as a consequence of their illness or disability. One hundred and thirty-three dysphonic patients completed an open-ended questionnaire where they were asked to make a list of the problems they experienced due to their voice disorder. Responses were categorized using the WHO International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities and Handicaps. A total number of 467 problems were listed: 60% impairments, 26% disabilities and 14% were handicap related. The six major impairments related to altered voice and throat symptoms. Although the majority of disabilities resulted from lack of projection and clarity, the most frequently reported was singing. Reported handicaps encompassed psychological, emotional and employment-related difficulties and effects on family and friends. People with dysphonia experience social, lifestyle and employment difficulties as a consequence of their voice disorder. Responses to the open-ended questionnaire have considerable practical applications in targeting more comprehensive treatment strategies.     

Overall evaluation of effectiveness of type II thyroplasty for adductor spasmodic dysphonia

OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS: To assess the effectiveness of type II thyroplasty with a titanium bridge in adductor spasmodic dysphonia (AdSD). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review, patient response to a questionnaire on the ease of phonation and voice quality, and pre- and postoperative fiberoptic laryngoscope findings. SUBJECTS: Forty-one patients who underwent type II thyroplasty with a titanium bridge between December 2002 and December 2005 who have been followed for at least 12 months postoperatively. RESULTS: Six patients were male, and 35 were female. The voice was recorded before and at least 6 months after surgery. Initially, 97.6%, 61%, and 48.8% of the patients had a strangulated, interrupted, or tremulous voice, respectively. The mean ratings of strangulation, interruption, and tremor were calculated. The respective mean pre- and postoperative scores were 1.51 and 0.46 for strangulation, 0.76 and 0.05 for interruption, and 0.65 and 0.048 for tremor. In the postoperative questionnaire, 70% of the patients judged their voice as excellent and the remaining patients as improved to good or fair. CONCLUSIONS: Type II thyroplasty is a highly effective therapy for AdSD. The voice in AdSD may roughly be classified into strangulated, tremulous, and interrupted types. The outcome measures justify the continued treatment of AdSD with type II thyroplasty.     

内收型痉挛性发声障碍的诊断

目的梳理内收型痉挛性发声障碍（ADSD）的主要诊断方法,对ADSD及其他相关疾病的嗓音听感特征进行描述、比较及分析;归纳出ADSD的鉴别诊断要点。诊断ADSD主要依据嗓音的听感特征,但还需结合病史、症状变化及体征等信息进行综合判断。     

Long term results of childhood dysphonia treatment

Objective

The aim of this study was to assess the long term results of treatment and rehabilitation of childhood dysphonia.

Methods

This study included a group of adolescents (n = 29) aged from 15 to 20 who were treated due to pediatric hyperfunctional dysphonia and soft vocal fold nodules during their pre-mutational period (i.e. between 5 and 12 years of age). The pre-mutational therapy was comprised of proper breathing pattern training, voice exercises and psychological counseling. Laryngostroboscopic examination and perceptual analysis of voice were performed in each patient before treatment and one to four years after mutation was complete. The laryngostroboscopic findings, i.e. symmetry, amplitude, mucosal wave and vocal fold closure, were graded with NAPZ scale, and the GRBAS scale was used for the perceptual voice analysis.

Results

Complete regression of the childhood dysphonia was observed in all male patients (n = 14). Voice disorders regressed completely also in 8 out of 15 girls, but symptoms of dysphonia documented on perceptual scale persisted in the remaining seven patients.

Conclusions

Complex voice therapy implemented in adolescence should be considered as either the treatment or preventive measure of persistent voice strain, especially in girls.     

Use of inhaled versus oral steroids for acute dysphonia

Acute dysphonia is a frequent condition in clinical practice. Its treatment, especially in adults, is not well established in the literature. Steroids are the most recommended drug treatment. However, the existing studies are not enough to establish superiority among the different steroids and the best route of administration.ObjectiveThis prospective clinical study aimed at comparing the effect of inhaling steroids as a dry powder with the effect of oral steroids to treat acute dysphonia.MethodWe assessed 32 adult patients, broken down into two groups of 16 patients in each one of the treatments, before and seven days after the use of the medication. The patients were submitted to videolaryngoscopy and perceptive and acoustic voice assessment.ResultOral and inhalation treatment significantly reduced hyperemia and edema, and improved the muco-ondulatory movement; nonetheless, edema reduction was statistically more significant (p = 0.012) in the patients treated with the inhalation form of the drug. However, comparing the values of the auditory perceptive analysis and the acoustic measures after treatment between the groups was not statistically significant.ConclusionThere was a significant improvement in the acute laryngitis concerning the assessments carried out in all the patients assessed, concerning the two treatments. The inhalation steroid treatment was significantly more effective in reducing the edema.     

Effects of adductor muscle stimulation on speech in abductor spasmodic dysphonia

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether adductor laryngeal muscle stimulation might be a beneficial treatment alternative for abductor spasmodic dysphonia (ABSD). STUDY DESIGN: Baseline comparisons were made on measures of voiceless consonant and syllable duration between patients with ABSD and normal control subjects, and speech and voice production with and without muscle stimulation were compared within 10 patients with ABSD. METHODS: Baseline group comparisons were conducted on measures of syllable and voiceless consonant duration between the patients and the control subjects. Neuromuscular stimulation was applied to the thyroarytenoid or lateral cricoarytenoid muscles in the patients during extended phonation, and measures were made of fundamental frequency and sound pressure level in the stimulated and nonstimulated conditions. Voiceless consonant duration was compared with and without adductor laryngeal muscle stimulation during syllable repetitions and sentences in the patients. RESULTS: Before stimulation, the patients had increased syllable durations in comparison with control subjects (P = .003). Repeated within-patient comparisons with and without stimulation demonstrated significant (P < .008) reductions in voiceless consonant durations during syllable repetition. The more severely affected patients had the greatest reductions in voiceless consonant duration during sentence production. CONCLUSIONS: Adductor muscle stimulation improved speech production in patients with ABSD, and the improvement was greatest in the most severely affected patients. Therefore adductor muscle stimulation has potential for benefiting patients with ABSD.     

痉挛性发音障碍与声带麻痹的关系

目的探索痉挛性发音障碍（ｓｐａｓｍｏｄｉｃｄｙｓｐｈｏｎｉａ）与声带麻痹发病关系。方法用肌电图仪测定喉内肌电位，用电视闪光放大喉镜录像观察声带运动状态，将声带麻痹程度分为轻、中、重三度。结果１９８３～１９９４年１２年中遇到轻、中、重声带麻痹１３００例，在１３００例中伴有痉挛性发音障碍者５例；其中重度和中度声带麻痹者各１例，轻度者３例。结论通过５例的观察，发现声带麻痹的进行或治愈过程中皆可出现痉挛性发音障碍，考虑此５例为喉周围神经器质性病变所引起。