Improvement in Acoustic Voice Characteristics in Functional Dysphonia After Therapy

Which Instrumental Acoustic Voice Parameters Indicate Vocal Improvement After Voice Therapy in Patients With Functional Dysphonia

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).

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.