Cricothyroid Dysfunction in Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis Females Impairs Lexical Tone Production.

In this cross-sectional study, we compared voice tone and activities relating to the laryngeal muscle between unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) patients with and without cricothyroid (CT) muscle dysfunction to define how CT dysfunction affects language tone. Eighty-eight female surgery-related UVFP patients were recruited and received acoustic voice analysis and laryngeal electromyography (LEMG) when the patient was producing the four Mandarin tones. The statistical analysis was compared between UVFP patients with (CT+ group, 17 patients) and without CT muscle (CT- group, 71 patients) involvement. When producing Mandarin Tone 2, the voice tone in the CT+ group had smaller rise range (p = 0.007), lower rise rate (p = 0.002), and lower fundamental frequency (F0) at the offset point of the voice (p = 0.023). When producing Mandarin Tone 4, the voice tone in the CT+ group had smaller drop range (p = 0.019), lower drop rate (p = 0.005), and lower F0 at voice onset (p = 0.025). The CT+ group had significantly lower CT muscle activity when producing the four Mandarin tones. In conclusion, CT dysfunction causes a limitation of high-rising tone in Tone 2 and high-falling tone in Tone 4, a property that dramatically limits the tonal characteristics in Mandarin, a tonal language. This limitation could further impair the patient's communication ability.

Outcomes of Esophageal Cancer after Esophagectomy in the Era of Early Injection Laryngoplasty.

(1) Background: severe weight loss was reported to be related to unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) after esophagectomy and could thus impair survival. Concomitant radical lymph node dissection along the recurrent laryngeal nerve during esophageal cancer surgery is controversial, as it might induce UVFP. Early intervention for esophagectomy-related UVFP by administering intracordal injections of temporal agents has recently become popular. This study investigated the survival outcomes of esophagectomy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after the introduction of early injection laryngoplasty (EIL). (2) Methods: a retrospective review of patients with ESCC after curative-intent esophagectomy was conducted in a tertiary referral medical center. The necessity of EIL with hyaluronic acid was comprehensively discussed for all symptomatic UVFP patients. The survival outcomes and related risk factors of ESCC were evaluated. (3) Results: among the cohort of 358 consecutive patients who underwent esophagectomy for ESCC, 42 (11.7%) showed postsurgical UVFP. Twenty-nine of them received office-based EIL. After EIL, the glottal gap area, maximum phonation time and voice outcome survey showed significant improvement at one, three and six months measurements. The number of lymph nodes in the resected specimen was higher in those with UVFP than in those without UVFP (30.1 ± 15.7 vs. 24.6 ± 12.7, p = 0.011). The Kaplan-Meier overall survival was significantly better in patients who had UVFP (p = 0.014), received neck anastomosis (p = 0.004), underwent endoscopic resection (p < 0.001) and had early-stage cancer (p < 0.001). Multivariate Cox logistic regression analysis showed two independent predictors of OS, showing that the primary stage and anastomosis type are the two independent predictors of OS. (4) Conclusion: EIL is effective in improving UVFP-related symptoms, thus providing compensatory and palliative measures to ensure the patient's postsurgical quality of life. The emerging use of EIL might encourage cancer surgeons to radically dissect lymph nodes along the recurrent laryngeal nerve, thus changing the survival trend.

Clinical and functional characteristics of lung surgery-related vocal fold palsy.

BACKGROUND: Unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) caused by lung surgery is associated with prolonged hospital stay and increased postoperative comorbidities. We evaluated lung surgery-related UVFP and compared its characteristics with UVFP caused by esophageal and thyroid surgeries, as the most common surgical causes of UVFP. We also evaluated the outcomes of intracordal hyaluronate injection laryngoplasty in these patients. METHODS: Patients with surgery-related UVFP were evaluated by quantitative laryngeal electromyography, videolaryngostroboscopy, voice acoustic analysis, Voice Outcome Survey (VOS) questionnaire, and Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) quality-of-life questionnaire. Data for the lung, esophageal, and thyroid surgery groups were compared and changes in outcome measurements induced by hyaluronate injection were compared among the three groups. RESULTS: A total of 141 patients were recruited, including 21, 46, and 74 in the lung, esophageal, and thyroid surgery groups, respectively. Compared with the other two groups, lung surgery patients had predominantly left-sided UVFP, less involvement of the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve, and higher jitter. Most outcome measurements improved in all three groups after office-based hyaluronate injection, with the greatest improvement in jitter in the lung surgery group. CONCLUSIONS: Lung surgery-related UVFP showed a distinct disease presentation, and patients' voice parameters and quality of life recovered dramatically after office-based hyaluronate injection. We recommend evaluation of lung surgery-related UVFP and early intervention, such as office-based hyaluronate injection, to improve patients' voice function and quality of life.

Speech Performance after Anterolateral Thigh Phonatory Tube Reconstruction for Total Laryngectomy.

OBJECTIVE: Traditionally, after total laryngopharyngectomy (TLP), patients cannot speak without a prosthesis or an artificial larynx. In Taiwan, most patients use a commercialized pneumatic laryngeal device (PLD). Phonatory tube reconstruction with the anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap is a novel, modified version of synchronous digestive and phonatory reconstruction involving a free muscular cutaneous flap. This study reviewed and compared speech performance between patients who underwent novel flap reconstruction and conventional PLD users. METHOD: We retrospectively reviewed patients with laryngeal or hypopharyngeal cancer who underwent TLP from August 2017 to September 2019. The voice handicap index (VHI), speech intelligibility, acoustic and aerodynamic analysis results, and speech range profile (SRP) were compared between patients who underwent ALT phonatory tube reconstruction (ALT group) and those using PLDs (PLD group). RESULTS: Twenty patients were included; 13 patients were included in the ALT group, and 7 patients were included in the PLD group. Compared to the PLD group, the ALT group had a better fundamental frequency range (P < .001) and semitone range (P < .001) during speech but showed worse jitter, shimmer, and harmonic-to-noise ratios. The two groups showed comparable VHI and speech intelligibility performance. CONCLUSIONS: The ALT phonatory tube, a novel flap for reconstruction, can restore digestive and voice functions simultaneously. Compared with PLD use, ALT phonatory tube reconstruction yields an improved speech range and comparable levels of voice handicap and speech intelligibility, suggesting that the technique is a good alternative for patients after TLP. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 131:1349-1357, 2021.

Two trajectories of functional recovery in thyroid surgery related unilateral vocal cord paralysis.

BACKGROUND: Iatrogenic unilateral vocal fold paralysis caused by thyroid surgery induces profound physical and psychosocial distress in patients. The natural course of functional recovery over time differs substantially across subjects, but the mechanisms underlying this difference remain unclear. In this study, we examined whether the anatomic site of the lesion affected the trajectory of recovery. METHODS: In this prospective case series study in a single medical center, patients with thyroid surgery-related unilateral vocal fold paralysis were evaluated using quantitative laryngeal electromyography, videolaryngostroboscopy, voice acoustic analysis, the Voice Outcome Survey, and the Short Form-36 quality-of-life questionnaire. Patients with and without superior laryngeal nerve injuries were compared. RESULTS: Forty-two patients were recruited, among whom 15 and 27 were assigned to the with and without superior laryngeal nerve injury groups, respectively. Compared with the group without superior laryngeal nerve injury, the group with superior laryngeal nerve injury group demonstrated less improvement in the recruitment of vocal fold adductors, and the group also had more severe impairment of vocal fold vibration, maximum phonation time, jitter, shimmer, and harmony-to-noise ratio at the first evaluation. This difference was also found in the glottal gap and maximum phonation time 12 months after the injury. CONCLUSION: Among patients with thyroid surgery-related unilateral vocal fold paralysis, superior laryngeal nerve injury induces a distinctively different recovery trajectory compared with those without superior laryngeal nerve injury characterized by less reinnervation of vocal fold adductors and worse presentation in terms of the glottal gap and maximum phonation time. This study emphasizes the importance of superior laryngeal nerve function and its preservation in thyroid surgery.

Modified lymph node ratio improves the prognostic predictive ability for breast cancer patients compared with other lymph node staging systems.

BACKGROUND: Metastatic regional lymph nodes (LN) is a strong predictor of worse long-term outcome. Therefore, different LN staging systems have been proposed in recent years. In this study, we proposed a modified lymph node ratio (mLNR) as a new lymph node staging system and then compared the prognostic performance of mLNR with American Joint Committee on Cancer N stage, lymph node ratio (LNR) and log odds of metastatic lymph nodes in breast cancer patients. METHODS: Breast cancer patients who underwent surgery between 2004 and 2012 were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Restricted cubic spline functions were calculated to characterize the association between variables and the risk of death. The Cox proportional hazards models were constructed to assess the predictive ability of different lymph node staging systems using the Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) and Harrell's concordance index (C-index). RESULTS: A total of 264,096 breast cancer patients were enrolled and 187,785 (71.1%) patients had a limited number of LNs harvested. In the limited LN harvest cohort, the prognostic performance of LNR decreased and mLNR could greatly solve this problem. In addition, among the entire cohort, mLNR modeled as a continuous value had the best predictive ability (AIC: 922021.9 and C-index: 0.727) than other lymph node staging systems. CONCLUSIONS: The predictive ability of LNR is restricted by a limited LN harvest. However, mLNR shows superiority to LNR and other lymph node staging systems especially in a limited LN harvest cohort, making mLNR the most powerful lymph node staging systems.

Voice aerodynamics following office-based hyaluronate injection laryngoplasty.

OBJECTIVES: Neuromuscular control, glottal conformation and aerodynamics are the major factors affecting voice performance. We aimed to characterise the degree to which voice improvements following office-based intracordal hyaluronate injection laryngoplasty (HIL) depend on changes in voice aerodynamics in patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP), by assessing the correlations between these parameters. DESIGN: Prospective case series. SETTING: Otolaryngology Clinics in a Medical Center. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with UVFP within 6 months of their first outpatient visit who received single HIL. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Videolaryngostroboscopy, aerodynamics and laboratory voice analysis were evaluated at baseline and 1 month after HIL. Quantitative laryngeal electromyography was evaluated at baseline to confirm UVFP. RESULTS: Seventy-five newly diagnosed patients with UVFP were analysed. The normalised glottal gap area (NGGA) decreased (P < 0.001) (Cohen's dz  = 0.94) and all aerodynamic parameters improved (all P < 0.05) (Cohen's dz  = 0.38-1.02) following HIL. Patients undergoing thoracic surgery had more profound aerodynamic impairments both before and after HIL. After adjusting for improvements in NGGA, the improvement in aerodynamics was correlated with voice improvement and most notably with maximum phonation time and jitter/shimmer. CONCLUSIONS: Hyaluronate injection laryngoplasty improved glottal conformation, aerodynamics and voice, highlighting the benefit of early HIL intervention for patients with UVFP. Patients with UVFP caused by thoracic surgery continued to have poorer aerodynamics post-HIL, indicating the importance of speech therapy in these patients.

An electroneurography-based assay for identifying injured nerve segment during surgery: design and in vivo application in the rat.

OBJECTIVE: Nerve injury is the main reason for nerve reconstruction surgery, during which the surgeon must determine the location of the injured nerve segment, resect it, and reconnect the remaining healthy nerve stump ends within a limited time. Given this importance, an assay needed to determine the exact location of the injured nerve segment, but no tool has yet fulfilled this need so that a visual inspection of the nerve is still the primary method of identifying the injured segment. APPROACH: We designed a flexible multi-electrode array sensor that records the electroneurographic signal (ENG) as the action potential elicited by electrical stimulation that propagates along the nerve upon both orthodromic and antidromic stimulation. Its utility was validated by in vivo experiments in injured sciatic nerves of rats. MAIN RESULTS: The results showed that the first post stimulus negative electroneurographic component (N1) is the most valid neural correlate, as its amplitude decreased, and latency increased as the action potential propagated across the injured segment. Gradual recovery of nerve conduction was observed when measured immediately, 7, and 30 d after injury. The locations of the identified injured segments were validated by histological findings. SIGNIFICANCE: The sensor and the algorithm developed in this study are breakthroughs in surgical nerve assessment accomplished by determining the specific nerve segment that should be resected, enabling the optimal surgical outcome.

Risk factors for thyroid surgery-related unilateral vocal fold paralysis.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: We aimed to identify the risk factors for iatrogenic unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) caused by thyroid surgery, to allow the identification of patients requiring nerve-protection procedures and monitoring technologies. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case study in a medical center. METHODS: Patients who underwent thyroid surgery from April 2011 to February 2016 and who were diagnosed with UVFP by laryngoscopy and laryngeal electromyography were included. Patient demographics, types of surgery, and characteristics of the thyroid lesions were analyzed. RESULTS: Sixty (2.1%) of 2,815 patients who received thyroid surgery developed UVFP. The risk of UVFP was higher in patients over 60 years old (odds ratio, 1.89; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-3.26; P = .01). Involvement of the external branch of superior laryngeal nerve (EBSLN) occurred in 19 (31.7%) of the 60 UVFP patients, and was more likely to occurr in patients with diabetes mellitus (odds ratio, 14.19; 95% confidence interval, 3.80-52.94; P < .001). The incidence of UVFP and involvement of the EBSLN differed among surgery types, and was the highest among patients undergoing total thyroidectomy with neck dissection (TTND) (10/158, 6.3% and 5/158, 3.2%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The risk of thyroid surgery-related UVFP is higher in older patients. EBSLN involvement is more likely in patients with diabetes mellitus. TTND is associated with higher risks of UVFP and EBSLN injury than other types of surgery, implying the need of intraoperative nerve monitoring in these high-risk characteristics. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 129:275-283, 2019.

Intraoperative linguistic performance during awake brain surgery predicts postoperative linguistic deficits.

INTRODUCTION: Awake craniotomy pursues a balance between extensive tumor resection and preservation of postoperative language function. A dilemma exists in patients whose tumor resection is restricted due to signs of language impairment observed during awake craniotomy. In order to determine the degree to which recovery of language function caused by tumor resection can be achieved by spontaneous neuroplasticity, the change in postoperative language function was compared to quantified intraoperative linguistic performance. METHODS: The modified, short-form Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination (sfBDAE) was used to assess pre- and postoperative language functions; visual object naming (DO 80) and semantic-association (Pyramid and Palm Tree Test, PPTT) tests assessed intraoperative linguistic performance. DO 80 and PPTT were performed alternatively during subcortical functional monitoring while performing tumor resection and sfBDAE was assessed 1-week postoperatively. RESULTS: Most patients with observed language impairment during awake surgery showed improved language function postoperatively. Both intraoperative DO 80 and PPTT showed significant correlation to postoperative sfBDAE domain scores (p < 0.05), with a higher correlation observed with PPTT. A linear regression model showed that only PPTT predicted the postoperative sfBDAE domain scores with the adjusted R2 ranging from 0.51 to 0.89 (all p < 0.01). Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed a cutoff value of PPTT that yielded a sensitivity of 80% and specificity of 100%. CONCLUSION: PPTT may be a feasible tool for intraoperative linguistic evaluation that can predict postoperative language outcomes. Further studies are needed to determine the extent of tumor resection that optimizes the postoperative language following neuroplasticity.

Implications of Synkinesis in Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis.

Objectives In patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP), laryngeal electromyography (LEMG) occasionally observes synkinesis in laryngeal muscles, a condition that could impair vocal fold mobility and voice control. This study aims to evaluate the impact of synkinesis on UVFP patients. Study Design A retrospective case-control study. Setting Medical center. Subjects and Methods Patients with UVFP onset >6 months were recruited (N = 104). The outcome measurements included LEMG, quantitative LEMG analysis of thyroarytenoid-lateral cricoarytenoid (TA-LCA) muscle complex, glottal gap measured by videolaryngostroboscopy, voice-related quality of life, and voice acoustic analysis. Results According to the LEMG analysis, 8 patients (8%) had synkinesis, and 96 (92%) did not. In the synkinesis group, TA-LCA turn frequency in the lesioned side was comparable to that in the healthy side ( P = .52). Patients in the synkinesis group had higher TA-LCA turn frequency ( P = .001), higher probability of cricothyroid muscle dysfunction ( P = .04), and better voice-related quality of life ( P = .01) but objective voice outcomes comparable to those in the nonsynkinesis group. Conclusions Patients with synkinesis will have near-complete restoration in TA-LCA turn frequency but still experience voice impairment, a finding that is compatible with the mechanism of aberrant reinnervation. However, patients with synkinesis have better disease-related quality of life than do those without synkinesis.

Disease Characteristics and Electromyographic Findings of Nonsurgery-Related Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis.

OBJECTIVE: The detailed characteristics and prognosis of nonsurgery-related unilateral vocal fold paralysis (NSUVFP) are currently unclear. This study evaluated the extent of laryngeal nerve lesions and the individual characteristics for patients with NSUVFP. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective, case series. METHODS: Patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) were evaluated using videolaryngostroboscopy and quantitative laryngeal electromyography. The side of nerve lesions, involvement of the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (eSLN), and complete vocal fold motion recovery were evaluated after ≥ 6 month follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 207 UVFP patients were recruited, including 153 surgery-related UVFP and 54 NSUVFP patients. Thirty-four (63%) and 20 (37%) NSUVFP patients were further assigned to idiopathic and nonsurgery-related-nonidiopathic (NSNI) groups, respectively. In the idiopathic group, eSLN lesions occurred in all six (100%) patients with right-side paralysis, but in only six of 28 (21%) patients with left-side paralysis (P < 0.001). The turn frequency of the paralyzed thyroarytenoid-lateral cricoarytenoid muscle complex is lower in the NSNI group (333.1 ± 192.1) compared with the idiopathic group (490.2 ± 255.1) (P = 0.02). The probability of complete vocal fold motion recovery did not differ among groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Idiopathic and NSNI UVFP have different clinical presentations defined by laryngeal electromyography. NSNI UVFP had more severe denervation changes compared with idiopathic UVFP. These results may support two pathogenic mechanisms for idiopathic UVFP: 1) neuropathy specifically involving left recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN), and 2) neuropathy affecting nerves proximal to the RLN. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4. Laryngoscope, 127:1381-1387, 2017.

Distinct Disease and Functional Characteristics of Thyroid Surgery-Related Vocal Fold Palsy.

BACKGROUND: Iatrogenic trauma induced by thyroid surgery is the most common etiology of unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP). UVFP after thyroid surgery may lead to profound physical and psychosocial distress. This study comprehensively evaluated UVFP caused by thyroid surgery, and compared the results with those caused by other surgical trauma. METHODS: Patients with surgery-related UVFP were evaluated using quantitative laryngeal electromyography, videolaryngostroboscopy, voice acoustic analysis, the Voice Outcome Survey, and the Short Form-36 Health Survey quality-of-life questionnaire. Patients with thyroid surgery and other surgeries were compared. RESULTS: A total of 105 patients were recruited, of whom 52 and 53 were assigned to the thyroid surgery and the other surgery group, respectively. Patients in the thyroid surgery group had a higher proportion of external branch of superior laryngeal nerve (eSLN) involvement, longer duration from disease onset to the first laryngeal electromyography examination, lower jitter, higher harmonic-to-noise ratio, and better quality of life compared with the other surgery group. Specifically for patients in the thyroid surgery group, those with eSLN involvement tended to have more pronounced impairment in jitter and shimmer compared with patients without eSLN involvement. CONCLUSION: UVFP caused by thyroid surgery has a distinct clinical presentation with relatively high involvement in the eSLN, better voice acoustics, longer waiting time before asking for evaluation, and less impact on quality of life. The involvement of eSLN in these patients further impaired their voice. Early referral is suggested for these patients, especially with suspected eSLN injury.

Quantitative electromyographic characteristics of idiopathic unilateral vocal fold paralysis.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Unilateral vocal fold paralysis with no preceding causes is diagnosed as idiopathic unilateral vocal fold paralysis. However, comprehensive guidelines for evaluating the defining characteristics of idiopathic unilateral vocal fold paralysis are still lacking. In the present study, we hypothesized that idiopathic unilateral vocal fold paralysis may have different clinical and neurologic characteristics from unilateral vocal fold paralysis caused by surgical trauma. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective, case series study. METHODS: Patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis were evaluated using quantitative laryngeal electromyography, videolaryngostroboscopy, voice acoustic analysis, the Voice Outcome Survey, and the Short Form-36 Health Survey quality-of-life questionnaire. Patients with idiopathic and iatrogenic vocal fold paralysis were compared. RESULTS: A total of 124 patients were recruited. Of those, 17 with no definite identified causes after evaluation and follow-up were assigned to the idiopathic group. The remaining 107 patients with surgery-induced vocal fold paralysis were assigned to the iatrogenic group. Patients in the idiopathic group had higher recruitment of the thyroarytenoid-lateral cricoarytenoid muscle complex and better quality of life compared with the iatrogenic group. CONCLUSION: Idiopathic unilateral vocal fold paralysis has a distinct clinical presentation, with relatively minor denervation changes in the involved laryngeal muscles, and less impact on quality of life compared with iatrogenic vocal fold paralysis. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4. Laryngoscope, 126:E362-E368, 2016.

Increased risk of posterior circulation infarcts among ischemic stroke patients with cervical spondylosis.

BACKGROUND: Cervical spondylosis is one of the extrinsic factors causing vertebral artery stenosis. Several case studies have reported compression of the vertebral artery induced by cervical osteophytes that has resulted in posterior circulation infarcts (POCI). However, to the best of our knowledge, no studies have yet analyzed differences in the risk factors and stroke subtypes between ischemic stroke patients with cervical spondylosis and those without. PURPOSE: In the case-controlled study reported here, we analyzed the risk factors and stroke subtypes in ischemic stroke patients with and without cervical spondylosis. Characteristics in all the recruited patients with POCI and non-POCI were further compared to extract other risk factors that could predict the occurrence of POCI. METHODS AND PATIENTS: We filtered out ischemic stroke patients with cervical spondylosis ("Stroke+C" group) by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes. We analyzed the data of 38 subjects in the Stroke+C group and 152 sex- and age-comparable ischemic stroke patients without cervical spondylosis ("Stroke-C" group). We recorded the demographic characteristics including sex and age, and stroke risk factors, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, heart disease, hyperlipidemia, and smoking habits. The stroke classifications were defined by the Oxford Community Stroke Project classification. All subjects were further categorized into POCI or non-POCI groups. The ultrasound findings of the vertebral arteries (extracranial and intracranial) in the Stroke+C group were also recorded. RESULTS: More patients in the Stroke+C group tended to have POCI (34.2%) than patients in the Stroke-C group (17.5%) (odds ratio [OR] =2.41, P<0.05). Furthermore, hypertension (OR=3.41, P<0.01) and cervical spondylosis (OR=2.41, P<0.05) were two independent risk factors for POCI in ischemic stroke patients. CONCLUSION: Ischemic stroke patients with cervical spondylosis are more prone to POCI than those without cervical spondylosis. Hypertension is another identified risk factor for POCI in ischemic stroke patients. The occurrence of POCI should be highlighted for patients with cervical spondylosis.

Early hyaluronate injection improves quality of life but not neural recovery in unilateral vocal fold paralysis: an open-label randomized controlled study.

PURPOSE: To investigate the neurologic and functional effect of intracordal hyaluronate injections in acute unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) in a randomized controlled trial. METHODS: In this open-label, randomized controlled study, 29 patients with UVFP were recruited within 6 months of their first outpatient visit and were randomized to receive either single hyaluronate injection (HI group) or conservative management (CM group). Quantitative laryngeal electromyography, videolaryngostroboscopy, UVFP-related quality of life (Voice Outcomes Survey, VOS), laboratory voice analysis, and health-related quality of life (SF-36) were evaluated at baseline, and at 1, 3 and 6 months post-injection in the HI group, and at baseline and 6 months in the CM group. RESULTS: Improvements in most quality of life domains and other assessments were comparable between the HI and CM groups; however, the HI group had a greater improvement in the mental health domain of quality of life at the end of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Early hyaluronate injection cannot improve nerve regeneration but can result in long-lasting improvements in patients' psychosocial well-being, thus highlighting the importance of early intervention for patients with UVFP.