Classification of laryngeal diseases including laryngeal cancer, benign mucosal disease, and vocal cord paralysis by artificial intelligence using voice analysis.

Voice change is often the first sign of laryngeal cancer, leading to diagnosis through hospital laryngoscopy. Screening for laryngeal cancer solely based on voice could enhance early detection. However, identifying voice indicators specific to laryngeal cancer is challenging, especially when differentiating it from other laryngeal ailments. This study presents an artificial intelligence model designed to distinguish between healthy voices, laryngeal cancer voices, and those of the other laryngeal conditions. We gathered voice samples of individuals with laryngeal cancer, vocal cord paralysis, benign mucosal diseases, and healthy participants. Comprehensive testing was conducted to determine the best mel-frequency cepstral coefficient conversion and machine learning techniques, with results analyzed in-depth. In our tests, laryngeal diseases distinguishing from healthy voices achieved an accuracy of 0.85-0.97. However, when multiclass classification, accuracy ranged from 0.75 to 0.83. These findings highlight the challenges of artificial intelligence-driven voice-based diagnosis due to overlaps with benign conditions but also underscore its potential.

Two-dimensional Scheme for Arranging Voice Disorders.

Importance: Prevalent schemes that have been used for arranging voice pathologies have shaped theoretical and clinical views and the conceptualization of the pathologies and of the field as a whole. However, these available schemes contain inconsistencies and categorical overlaps. Objective: To develop and evaluate a new approach for arranging voice pathologies, using 2 continuous scales, organicity and tonicity, which were used to construct a 2-dimensional plane. Design, Setting, and Participants: This survey study was conducted among experts in the fields of laryngology and/or voice disorders from 10 countries. The survey was conducted using an online platform from March to May 2021. The data were analyzed in June 2021. Of the 45 experts who were initially approached, 39 (86.7%) completed the survey. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome measures were group ratings on 2 rating scales: organicity and tonicity. On the organicity scale, 0 represented nonorganic and 10 organic. On the tonicity scale, 0 represented hypotonic and 10 hypertonic. Results: Participants included 16 laryngologists and 23 speech-language pathologists, of whom 27 (69.2%) were women and 12 (30.8%) men with a mean age of 55 years. The Cronbach α was high for organicity and tonicity (0.98 and 0.97, respectively). Interrater agreement (rwg) was moderate to very strong (rwg≥0.50) for most pathologies. The correlation between the 2 scales was moderate and negative (r = -0.38; P = .03). The pathologies were scattered across the full range of both scales and the 4 quadrants of the 2-dimensional plane, suggesting the continuity and bidimensionality of the new arrangement scheme. In addition, a latent profile analysis suggested that the 4-cluster solution is valid and roughly corresponded to the 4 quadrants of the constructed plane. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings of this survey study suggest the potential use of a 2-dimensional plane that was based on 2 continuous scales as a new arrangement scheme for voice disorders. The results suggest that this approach provides a valid representation of the field based on 2 basic measures beyond the specific etiology of each laryngeal pathology or condition. This simple and comprehensive organization scheme has the potential to facilitate new insights on the nature of voice pathologies, considering the interpathology similarities and differences.

Descritores de qualidade vocal soprosa, rugosa e saudável no senso comum / Descriptors of breathy, rough, and healthy voice quality in common sense

RESUMO Objetivo Identificar os termos referidos pela população em geral para a qualidade vocal saudável, rugosa e soprosa. Métodos foi realizado um teste, de modo presencial, com 50 participantes sem vínculos acadêmicos ou profissionais com a Fonoaudiologia. A tarefa consistia em ouvir três vozes e defini-las livremente. A primeira voz apresentada era predominantemente soprosa; a segunda, predominantemente rugosa e a terceira, vocalmente saudável. Apresentou-se a emissão sustentada da vogal /Ɛ/ e a contagem de 1 a 10. Cada participante deveria responder ao comando: "Ouça essa voz. Com qual termo você a nomearia?", digitando a resposta em uma linha disposta na tela do PowerPoint. Resultados para a voz saudável, o termo que mais se repetiu foi "normal" (36%); outros termos foram: "limpa", "comum", "padrão", "clara", "límpida", "firme", "boa", "som aberto", "definida". Para a voz rugosa, 25 participantes (50%) responderam com o termo "rouca" e os demais se dividiram em termos como "ruidosa", "chiada", "voz de fumante", "grave", "idosa", "cavernosa", "anormal", entre outros termos similares. Para a voz soprosa, 24 participantes (48%) usaram o termo "cansada"; cinco atribuíram o adjetivo "fraca"; três responderam com o termo "sem fôlego"; houve duas correspondências aos termos "arrastada" e "doente" e os demais participantes responderam com termos semelhantes: "exausta", "preguiçosa", "sonolenta", "fatigada" e afins. Conclusão os termos "normal" para voz saudável, "rouca" para voz rugosa e "cansada" para voz soprosa possibilitam a percepção mais usual desses parâmetros clínicos de qualidade vocal, para indivíduos alheios à linguagem técnico-científica da Fonoaudiologia

ABSTRACT Purpose Identify the terms mentioned by the general population for healthy, rough and breathy vocal quality. Methods A test was carried out with 50 participants, in person, without academic or professional ties with Speech Therapy. The task was to hear three voices and define them freely. The first voice presented was predominantly breathy; the second, predominantly rough and the third, vocally healthy. The sustained emission of the vowel / Ɛ / and the count from one to ten were presented. Each participant should respond to the command: "Listen to that voice. Which term would you name it?", Typing the answer on a line displayed on the PowerPoint screen. Results For the healthy voice, the term that was repeated the most was "normal" (36%), other terms were: "clean", "common", "standard", "clear", "clear", "firm", "good", "open sound", "defined". For the rough voice, twenty-five participants (50%) responded with the term "hoarse" and the others were divided into terms such as "noisy", "smoker's voice", "deep", "elderly", "cavernous", "abnormal", among other similar terms. For the breathy voice, twenty-four participants (48%) used the term "tired"; five participants assigned the adjective "weak"; three responded with the term "out of breath"; there were two correspondences to the terms "dragged" and "sick"; and the other participants responded with terms similar: "exhausted", "lazy", "sleepy", "fatigued" and the like. Conclusion The terms "normal" for a healthy voice, "hoarse" for a rough voice and "tired" for a breathy voice, allow a more usual perception of these clinical parameters of vocal quality, for individuals outside the technical-scientific language of Speech Therapy.

Perfil de comportamento pessoal autorreferido por professores universitários: associação com a autoavaliação comunicativa e vocal / Self-referred personal behavior profile of university professors: association with communicative and vocal self-evaluation

RESUMO Objetivo Descrever o perfil de comportamento pessoal autorreferido por professores universitários, e verificar a associação destes perfis com a autoavaliação dos aspectos comunicativos e sintomas vocais. Método Estudo realizado com 334 professores de uma universidade pública que responderam um questionário online referente ao uso da voz na docência. A variável resposta foi a classificação do perfil de comportamento pessoal, identificado em quatro tipos: pragmático, analítico, expressivo e afável, e as variáveis explicativas foram: autopercepção vocal, recursos vocais e aspectos comunicativos. Foi realizada a análise descritiva dos dados, além dos testes Quiquadrado de Pearson e Exato de Fisher. Resultados Os professores universitários se identificaram mais com os perfis de comportamento pessoal afável e expressivo. De forma geral, os docentes demonstraram boa autopercepção dos aspectos vocais e comunicativos, além de terem relatado poucos sintomas vocais. Os perfis se diferenciaram em algumas variáveis estudadas: o pragmático relatou velocidade de fala rápida e, às vezes, realizar contato de olhos; o expressivo demonstrou autopercepção positiva de sua voz e intensidade forte. Professores com perfil analítico autorreferiram percepção negativa da qualidade vocal, intensidade fraca, articulação ruim e velocidade de fala rápida e, entre os demais perfis, foi o que mais relatou sintomas de cansaço na voz e dificuldade para projetar a voz. Conclusão Professores universitários se identificam predominantemente com os perfis afável e expressivo. A análise da autopercepção do perfil de comportamento pessoal em professores universitários mostra a influência das características da personalidade autorreferidas sobre as habilidades comunicativas em sala de aula.

ABSTRACT Purpose Describe the self-referred personal behavior profiles of university professors and verify the association of these profiles with the self-assessment of communicative aspects and vocal symptoms. Methods Study conducted with 334 professors at a public university who responded to an online questionnaire regarding voice use in teaching practice. Personal behavior profile classification was the response variable, which was divided into four types: pragmatic, analytical, expressive and affable. Explanatory variables were vocal self-perception, vocal resources, and communicative aspects. Descriptive data analysis was performed with application of the Pearson's Chi-squared and Fisher's Exact tests. Results University professors identified themselves more with the affable and expressive personal behavior profiles. Overall, professors presented good self-perception about vocal and communicative aspects, in addition to having reported few vocal symptoms. Profiles differed for some of the assessed variables, namely, pragmatic professors reported high speech velocity and sporadic eye contact; expressive professors demonstrated self-perception about their voice and strong voice intensity; those in the analytical profile self-reported negative perception about vocal quality, weak voice intensity, poor articulation and rapid speaking rate; the other professors mostly reported voice tiredness symptoms and difficulty projecting the voice. Conclusion University professors identify themselves mostly with the affable and expressive profiles. Self-perception analysis of the personal behavior profile in university professors showed the influence of self-reported personality characteristics on communicative skills in the classroom.

Demographic and Symptomatic Features of Voice Disorders and Their Potential Application in Classification Using Machine Learning Algorithms.

BACKGROUND: Studies have used questionnaires of dysphonic symptoms to screen voice disorders. This study investigated whether the differential presentation of demographic and symptomatic features can be applied to computerized classification. METHODS: We recruited 100 patients with glottic neoplasm, 508 with phonotraumatic lesions, and 153 with unilateral vocal palsy. Statistical analyses revealed significantly different distributions of demographic and symptomatic variables. Machine learning algorithms, including decision tree, linear discriminant analysis, K-nearest neighbors, support vector machine, and artificial neural network, were applied to classify voice disorders. RESULTS: The results showed that demographic features were more effective for detecting neoplastic and phonotraumatic lesions, whereas symptoms were useful for detecting vocal palsy. When combining demographic and symptomatic variables, the artificial neural network achieved the highest accuracy of 83 ± 1.58%, whereas the accuracy achieved by other algorithms ranged from 74 to 82.6%. Decision tree analyses revealed that sex, age, smoking status, sudden onset of dysphonia, and 10-item voice handicap index scores were significant characteristics for classification. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated a significant difference in demographic and symptomatic features between glottic neoplasm, phonotraumatic lesions, and vocal palsy. These features may facilitate automatic classification of voice disorders through machine learning algorithms.

Consensus-Based Attributes for Identifying Patients With Spasmodic Dysphonia and Other Voice Disorders.

Importance: A roadblock for research on adductor spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD), abductor SD (ABSD), voice tremor (VT), and muscular tension dysphonia (MTD) is the lack of criteria for selecting patients with these disorders. Objective: To determine the agreement among experts not using standard guidelines to classify patients with ABSD, ADSD, VT, and MTD, and develop expert consensus attributes for classifying patients for research. Design, Setting and Participants: From 2011 to 2016, a multicenter observational study examined agreement among blinded experts when classifying patients with ADSD, ABSD, VT or MTD (first study). Subsequently, a 4-stage Delphi method study used reiterative stages of review by an expert panel and 46 community experts to develop consensus on attributes to be used for classifying patients with the 4 disorders (second study). The study used a convenience sample of 178 patients clinically diagnosed with ADSD, ABSD, VT MTD, vocal fold paresis/paralysis, psychogenic voice disorders, or hypophonia secondary to Parkinson disease. Participants were aged 18 years or older, without laryngeal structural disease or surgery for ADSD and underwent speech and nasolaryngoscopy video recordings following a standard protocol. Exposures: Speech and nasolaryngoscopy video recordings following a standard protocol. Main Outcomes and Measures: Specialists at 4 sites classified 178 patients into 11 categories. Four international experts independently classified 75 patients using the same categories without guidelines after viewing speech and nasolaryngoscopy video recordings. Each member from the 4 sites also classified 50 patients from other sites after viewing video clips of voice/laryngeal tasks. Interrater κ less than 0.40 indicated poor classification agreement among rater pairs and across recruiting sites. Consequently, a Delphi panel of 13 experts identified and ranked speech and laryngeal movement attributes for classifying ADSD, ABSD, VT, and MTD, which were reviewed by 46 community specialists. Based on the median attribute rankings, a final attribute list was created for each disorder. Results: When classifying patients without guidelines, raters differed in their classification distributions (likelihood ratio, χ2 = 107.66), had poor interrater agreement, and poor agreement with site categories. For 11 categories, the highest agreement was 34%, with no κ values greater than 0.26. In external rater pairs, the highest κ was 0.23 and the highest agreement was 38.5%. Using 6 categories, the highest percent agreement was 73.3% and the highest κ was 0.40. The Delphi method yielded 18 attributes for classifying disorders from speech and nasolaryngoscopic examinations. Conclusions and Relevance: Specialists without guidelines had poor agreement when classifying patients for research, leading to a Delphi-based development of the Spasmodic Dysphonia Attributes Inventory for classifying patients with ADSD, ABSD, VT, and MTD for research.

Investigation of the Effects of Speech Signal Length on Vocal Disorder Sorting Done Via Dynamic Pattern Modeling.

OBJECTIVES: Development of a noninvasive method for separating different vocal fold diseases is an important issue concerning vocal analysis. Due to the time variations along a pathologic vocal signal, application of dynamic pattern modeling tools is expected to help in the detection of defects that occur in the speech production mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the present study, the hidden Markov model, which is a state space model, is employed to sort some of the vocal diseases. Moreover, this research mainly investigates the effects of the processed vocal signal lengths on the mentioned sorting task. To this end, the signal lengths of 1, 3, and 5 seconds of different disorders are used. RESULTS: The experimental results show that some pathologic conditions in vocal folds such as cyst, false vocal cord, and mass are more evident in continued voice production, and the recognition accuracies gained via dynamic modeling of pathologic voice signals with more lengths are considerably improved.

Sintomas do trato vocal e índice de desvantagem vocal para o canto moderno em cantores evangélicos / Correlation between vocal tract symptoms and modern singing handicap index in church gospel singers

RESUMO Objetivo correlacionar os sintomas de desconforto do trato vocal e desvantagem de voz percebida em homens e mulheres cantores evangélicos. Método participaram 100 cantores evangélicos, 50 do gênero masculino e 50 do feminino. Todos os participantes responderam a dois questionários: Escala de Desconforto do trato vocal (EDTV) e o Índice de Desvantagem para o Canto Moderno (IDCM). Foi realizada a comparação entre os gêneros, tanto em relação aos sintomas do trato vocal como em relação aos índices de IDCM, por meio do teste Mann-Whitney. Para a correlação entre as respostas na Escala de Desconforto no Trato Vocal e IDCM, foi utilizado o teste de Correlação de Sperman (p<0,05). Resultados cantoras evangélicas apresentaram maior frequência e intensidade de sintomas de desconforto do trato vocal, bem como maior desvantagem vocal para o canto, quando comparadas aos cantores evangélicos. Considerando as respostas de todos os cantores, houve correlações positivas entre os sintomas de desconforto do trato vocal e a desvantagem vocal para o canto. Conclusão as percepções de desconforto em trato vocal e de desvantagem para o canto foram diferentes entre os cantores evangélicos do gênero masculino e feminino no grupo estudado. O maior desconforto no trato vocal e desvantagem no canto foram verificados pelas cantoras. Quanto maior foi a frequência e a intensidade de sintomas de desconforto no trato vocal, maior foi a desvantagem vocal.

ABSTRACT Objective To verify the correlation between vocal tract discomfort symptoms and perceived voice handicaps in gospel singers, analyzing possible differences according to gender. Methods 100 gospel singers volunteered, 50 male and 50 female. All participants answered two questionnaires: Vocal Tract Discomfort (VTD) scale and the Modern Singing Handicap Index (MSHI) that investigates the vocal handicap perceived by singers, linking the results of both instruments (p<0.05). Results Women presented more perceived handicaps and also more frequent and higher intensity vocal tract discomfort. Furthermore, the more frequent and intense the vocal tract symptoms, the higher the vocal handicap for singing. Conclusion Female gospel singers present higher frequency and intensity of vocal tract discomfort symptoms, as well as higher voice handicap for singing than male gospel singers. The higher the frequency and intensity of the laryngeal symptoms, the higher the vocal handicap will be.

Relação entre as condições de trabalho e de voz autorreferidas por teleoperadores de uma central de emergência / Relationship between working and voice conditions self-reported by telemarketers of an emergency call center

RESUMO Objetivo investigar se existe associação entre os sintomas vocais, a queixa vocal e as condições de trabalho e da voz autorreferidas por teleoperadores. Método participaram 72 teleoperadores, de ambos os gêneros, atuantes em uma central de atendimento em emergência. Eles responderam ao questionário que levantou dados pessoais, queixa vocal, sintomas vocais e condições de trabalho. A análise dos dados foi realizada por meio do Teste Quiquadrado, Teste exato de Fisher e do Teste Mann-Whitney. Resultados houve associação entre o grupo de teleoperadores com queixa de distúrbio da voz para os aspectos de condição de trabalho como empresa ruidosa, e para os aspectos de condição de voz: mudança na voz e faltas ao trabalho. Observaram-se diferenças entre a média de sintomas vocais auditivos para: eco na sala, mudança na voz e faltas ao trabalho, assim como se observou entre a média de sintomas vocais sensoriais dos participantes em relação às variáveis: ritmo de trabalho estressante, empresa ruidosa, barulho vindo de outras salas, eco na sala, uso do rádio, mudança na voz e faltas ao trabalho. Conclusão existe associação entre a presença de queixa vocal, o número de sintomas vocais auditivos e sensoriais e as condições de trabalho autorreferidas pelos teleoperadores pesquisados.

ABSTRACT Purpose To investigate whether there is association between vocal symptoms, voice complaint, and working and voice conditions self-reported by telemarketers. Methods Study participants were 72 telemarketing operators, both genders, who work in an emergency call center. They responded to a questionnaire on personal data, voice complaints, vocal symptoms, and working conditions. Data analysis was performed using the Chi-square, Mann-Whitney, and Fisher’s Exact tests. Results Correlation was found between the telemarketers in the study group and voice disorder complaint for aspects of working condition, such as noisy working environment, and aspects of voice condition, such as change in the voice and workplace absence. Differences were observed between the mean of auditory vocal symptoms of participants for echo in the work room, change in voice, and workplace absence, as well as between the mean of their sensory vocal symptoms in relation to the variables stressful work rate, noisy working environment, noise from other rooms, echo in the work room, radio use, change in voice, and workplace absence. Conclusion Correlation was found between the presence of vocal complaints, number of auditory and sensory vocal symptoms, and working conditions self-reported by the telemarketers surveyed.

Questionário Condição de Produção Vocal - Professor: comparação entre respostas em escala Likert e em escala visual analógica / Condition of Vocal Production-Teacher questionnaire: comparison of responses on Likert scale and visual analog scale

RESUMO Objetivo: Comparar as respostas referentes aos sintomas vocais em duas versões do questionário Condição de Produção Vocal - Professor (CPV-P), com respostas em escala Likert e em escala visual analógica (EVA), para avaliar qual é a melhor forma de aferição. Métodos: Estudo observacional transversal realizado com professoras em atendimento por distúrbio de voz no período de julho de 2011 a julho de 2012. Todas responderam ao questionário CPV-P em duas versões: com respostas em escala Likert de quatro pontos e em escala analógico-visual em régua de 50 mm. Foram analisadas as questões referentes à dimensão de sintomas vocais. Resultados: A maioria dos sintomas apresentou concordância boa (rouquidão, voz fina, voz variando, voz fraca, esforço ao falar, pigarro, ardor na garganta, dor ao falar) ou regular (perda de voz, falha na voz, voz grossa, cansaço ao falar, garganta seca, bola na garganta, secreção na garganta, dor ao engolir, dificuldade engolir, tosse seca). Conclusão: O questionário CPV-P com respostas em escala Likert mostrou-se mais indicado em relação às respostas em EVA pela facilidade de compreensão e interpretação, bem como por facilitar o registro das respostas para o investigador. Pelo exposto, opta-se pela recomendação de manutenção das respostas em escala Likert para o questionário CPV-P, considerando-se validado quanto à maneira de aferição das respostas. A dimensão de aspectos vocais avaliada no presente estudo, que hoje constitui o Índice de Triagem de Distúrbio de Voz (ITDV), pode ser utilizada em estudos epidemiológicos para estimar a prevalência de sintomas vocais bem na clínica fonoaudiológica ou acompanhamento de professores ao longo da carreira.

ABSTRACT Purpose: To compare the responses related to vocal symptoms in two versions of the Vocal Production Condition - Teacher (CPV-T) questionnaire, with responses on a Likert scale and a Visual Analog Scale (VAS), in order to evaluate which is the best measurement method. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted with teachers with voice disorders during the period from July 2011 to July 2012. All teachers answered the CPV-T in two versions: with answers on a 4-point Likert scale and on a 50-mm VAS. The answers related to vocal symptoms dimension were analyzed. Results: Most of the symptoms showed good (hoarseness, high-pitched voice, unstable voice, weak voice, effort when speaking, throat clearing, burning throat, and pain when speaking) or regular concordance (loss of voice, failing voice, low-pitched voice, vocal fatigue, dry throat, lump in the throat, secretion in the throat, pain when swallowing, difficulty swallowing, and dry cough). Conclusion: The CPV-T questionnaire with answers on Likert scale proved to be more suitable than the VAS owing to the ease of understanding and interpretation, in addition to facilitating the input of answers for the researcher. Therefore, the Likert scale was chosen for the CPV-T, considering it to be validated as the method to measure the answers. The dimension of vocal aspects evaluated in the present study, the Voice Disorder Screening Index (ITDV), can be used in epidemiological studies to estimate the prevalence of vocal symptoms and in the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology clinic routine or in monitoring teachers throughout their careers.

Self-perception, complaints and vocal quality among undergraduate students enrolled in a Pedagogy course / Autopercepção, queixas e qualidade vocal entre discentes de um curso de Pedagogia

PURPOSE: To compare the vocal self-perception and vocal complaints reported by two groups of students of the pedagogy course (freshmen and graduates); to relate the vocal self-perception to the vocal complaints for these groups; and to compare the voice quality of the students from these groups through perceptual auditory assessment and acoustic analysis. METHODS: Initially, 89 students from the pedagogy course answered a questionnaire about self-perceived voice quality and vocal complaints. In a second phase, auditory-perceptual evaluation and acoustic analyses of 48 participants were made through voice recordings of sustained vowel emission and poem reading. RESULTS: The most reported vocal complaints were fatigue while using the voice, sore throat, effort to speak, irritation or burning in the throat, hoarseness, tightness in the neck, and variations of voice throughout the day. There was a higher occurrence of complaints from graduates than from freshmen, with significant differences for four of the nine complaints. It was also possible to observe the relationship between vocal self-perception and complaints reported by these students. No significant differences were observed in the results of auditory-perceptual evaluation; however, some graduates had their voices evaluated with higher severity of deviation of normalcy. During acoustic analysis no difference was observed between groups. CONCLUSION: The increase in vocal demand by the graduates may have caused the greatest number and diversity of vocal complaints, and several of them are related to the self-assessment of voice quality. The auditory-perceptual evaluation and acoustic analysis showed no deviations in their voice. .

OBJETIVO: Comparar a autopercepção vocal e as queixas vocais reportadas por dois grupos de alunas do curso de Pedagogia (ingressantes e formandas); relacionar a autopercepção vocal com as queixas vocais nesses grupos e comparar a qualidade vocal das alunas desses grupos por meio da avaliação perceptivo-auditiva e da análise acústica. MÉTODOS: Inicialmente, 89 estudantes de um curso de Pedagogia responderam a um questionário sobre a autopercepção da qualidade vocal e queixas vocais. Numa segunda etapa foram realizadas análises perceptivo-auditiva e acústica das vozes de 48 participantes, por meio de gravações de emissão de vogal sustentada e leitura de poema. RESULTADOS: As queixas vocais mais relatadas foram cansaço no uso da voz, dor na garganta, esforço para falar, irritação ou ardor na garganta, rouquidão, tensão na nuca e variações da voz ao longo do dia. Houve maior ocorrência de queixas entre as formandas, quando comparadas com as ingressantes, mas com diferença significativa para quatro das nove queixas. Também foi possível observar a relação entre a autopercepção vocal e as referidas queixas dessas alunas. Não foram encontradas diferenças significativas nos resultados da análise perceptivo-auditiva, entretanto, algumas formandas tiveram suas vozes avaliadas com maior severidade de desvio da normalidade. Na análise acústica não houve diferença entre os grupos. CONCLUSÃO: O aumento da demanda vocal pelas formandas pode ter provocado o maior número e diversidade de queixas vocais, sendo que várias delas se relacionaram com a autoavaliação da qualidade vocal. As avaliações perceptivo-auditiva e acústica não mostraram desvios na voz. .

A classification system for airway compromise due to bilateral vocal fold mobility impairment.

We present a system for classification of bilateral vocal fold mobility impairment. Type 1 obstructions are caused by bilateral laryngeal denervation, most commonly due to bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy. Type 2 obstructions are caused by crico-arytenoid joint ankylosis. Type 3 obstructions are due to inter-arytenoid granulation tissue. Type 4 lesions are caused by mature inter-arytenoid scar tissue and type 5 lesions are complex or total laryngeal stenoses.

Relationship between patient-perceived vocal handicap and clinician-rated level of vocal dysfunction.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: The relationship between patient-reported vocal handicap and clinician-rated measures of vocal dysfunction is not understood. This study aimed to determine if a correlation exists between the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) and the Voice Functional Communication Measure rating in the National Outcomes Measurement System (NOMS). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case series. METHODS: Four hundred and nine voice evaluations over 12 months at a tertiary voice center were reviewed. The VHI-10 and NOMS scores, diagnoses, and potential comorbid factors were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: For the study population as a whole, there was a moderate negative correlation between the NOMS rating and the VHI-10 (Pearson r = -0.57). However, for a given NOMS level, there could be considerable spread in the VHI-10. In addition, as the NOMS decreased stepwise below level 4, there was a corresponding increase in the VHI-10. However, a similar trend in VHI-10 was not observed for NOMS above level 4, indicating the NOMS versus VHI-10 correlation was not linear. Among diagnostic groups, the strongest correlation was found for subjects with functional dysphonia. The NOMS versus VHI-10 correlation was not affected by gender or the coexistence of a psychiatric diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: A simple relationship between VHI-10 and NOMS rating does not exist. Patients with mild vocal dysfunction have a less direct relationship between their NOMS ratings and the VHI-10. These findings provide insight into the interpretation of patient-perceived and clinician-rated measures of vocal function and may allow for better management of expectations and patient counseling in the treatment of voice disorders.

Speech outcome in unilateral complete cleft lip and palate patients: a descriptive study.

AIM: In this study, resonance and articulation disorders were examined in a group of patients surgically treated for cleft lip and palate, considering family social background, and children's ability of self monitoring their speech output while speaking. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty children (32 males and 18 females) mean age 6.5 ± 1.6 years, affected by non-syndromic complete unilateral cleft of the lip and palate underwent the same surgical protocol. The speech level was evaluated using the Accordi's speech assessment protocol that focuses on intelligibility, nasality, nasal air escape, pharyngeal friction, and glottal stop. Pearson product-moment correlation analysis was used to detect significant associations between analysed parameters. RESULTS: A total of 16% (8 children) of the sample had severe to moderate degree of nasality and nasal air escape, presence of pharyngeal friction and glottal stop, which obviously compromise speech intelligibility. Ten children (10%) showed a barely acceptable phonological outcome: nasality and nasal air escape were mild to moderate, but the intelligibility remained poor. Thirty-two children (64%) had normal speech. Statistical analysis revealed a significant correlation between the severity of nasal resonance and nasal air escape (p ≤ 0.05). No statistical significant correlation was found between the final intelligibility and the patient social background, neither between the final intelligibility nor the age of the patients. CONCLUSION: The differences in speech outcome could be explained with a specific, subjective, and inborn ability, different for each child, in self-monitoring their speech output.

Índice de desvantagem vocal no canto clássico (IDCC) em cantores eruditos / Classical singing handicap index (CSHI) in erudite singers

TEMA: auto-avaliação da alteração vocal na qualidade de vida de cantores eruditos. OBJETIVO: verificar se a presença de queixa vocal em cantores eruditos produz desvantagem na qualidade de vida no que diz respeito ao uso da voz cantada e se tal desvantagem pode estar relacionada ao sexo, à idade, à classificação vocal ou ao tempo de canto. MÉTODO: 59 cantores eruditos profissionais, coralistas, preencheram um questionário com perguntas gerais de identificação, classificação vocal, idade, tempo de estudo e dedicação ao canto lírico. Os coralistas foram categorizados em dois grupos de acordo com a presença ou não de queixa vocal. Todos preencheram o protocolo de índice de desvantagem vocal pra o canto clássico (IDCC), que analisa o impacto da alteração vocal na voz cantada em três subescalas: incapacidade, desvantagem e defeito. RESULTADOS: as subescalas defeito (6,39) e incapacidade (5,39) apresentaram maiores escores que a subescala desvantagem (3,34), para todos os cantores. Além disso, foi observada relação estatisticamente significante entre a presença de queixa vocal e maior escore do IDCC (p < 0,001 para todas as subescalas). No grupo com queixa, mulheres apresentaram na subescala incapacidade maior escore que os homens; no grupo sem queixa, indivíduos com mais idade e mais tempo de canto apresentaram menores escores de IDCC. CONCLUSÃO: cantores líricos com queixa e/ou sintomas vocais apresentam maior índice de desvantagem no canto, com maior expressão nas subescalas de defeito e incapacidade, sem relação com a classificação vocal.

BACKGROUND: self-assessment of the impact of vocal deviation in the quality of life of erudite singers. AIM: to verify whether the presence of vocal complaints in erudite singers produces quality of life handicap in the use of singing voice and whether this handicap is related to gender, age, vocal classification or time of singing. METHOD: fifty-nine professional erudite choir singers answered the questionnaire including general questions such as identification, vocal classification, gender, time of study and dedication to classical singing. The choir singers were categorized into two groups, according to the presence of vocal complaints. They all answered the protocol Classical Singing Handicap Index (CSHI), which analyzes the impact of abnormal voice on singing voice in three subscales: Disability, Handicap and Impairment. RESULTS: subscales Impairment (6.39) and Disability (5.39) presented higher scores than subscale Handicap (3.34) for all singers. Moreover, there was statistically significant correlation between presence of vocal complaint and higher score of CSHI (p > 0.001 to all subscales). In the group with complaints, women had higher score in subscale Disability than men. In the group without complaints, older subjects and those who had sung longer presented lower CSHI scores. CONCLUSION: singers with vocal complaints and/or symptoms had higher handicap index in singing, expressed in subscales Impairment and Disability, without relationship with vocal classification.

Classification of functional voice disorders based on phonovibrograms.

OBJECTIVE: This work presents a computer-aided method for automatically and objectively classifying individuals with healthy and dysfunctional vocal fold vibration patterns as depicted in clinical high-speed (HS) videos of the larynx. METHODS: By employing a specialized image segmentation and vocal fold movement visualization technique - namely phonovibrography - a novel set of numerical features is derived from laryngeal HS videos capturing the dynamic behavior and the symmetry of oscillating vocal folds. In order to assess the discriminatory power of the features, a support vector machine is applied to the preprocessed data with regard to clinically relevant diagnostic tasks. Finally, the classification performance of the learned nonlinear models is evaluated to allow for conclusions to be drawn about suitability of features and data resulting from different examination paradigms. As a reference, a second feature set is determined which corresponds to more traditional voice analysis approaches. RESULTS: For the first time an automatic classification of healthy and pathological voices could be obtained by analyzing the vibratory patterns of vocal folds using phonovibrograms (PVGs). An average classification accuracy of approximately 81% was achieved for 2-class discrimination with PVG features. This exceeds the results obtained through traditional voice analysis features. Furthermore, a relevant influence of phonation frequency on classification accuracy was substantiated by the clinical HS data. CONCLUSION: The PVG feature extraction and classification approach can be assessed as being promising with regard to the diagnosis of functional voice disorders. The obtained results indicate that an objective analysis of dysfunctional vocal fold vibration can be achieved with considerably high accuracy. Moreover, the PVG classification method holds a lot of potential when it comes to the clinical assessment of voice pathologies in general, as the diagnostic support can be provided to the voice clinician in a timely and reliable manner. Due to the observed interdependency between phonation frequency and classification accuracy, in future comparative studies of HS recordings of oscillating vocal folds homogeneous frequencies should be taken into account during examination.

Manejo y tratamiento de la disfonía en niños y adultos: cuándo y cómo / Children's and adult's dysphonia: management and treatment: how and when?

La voz suele ser nuestra carta de presentación y parte de nuestra identidad como personas. La voz puede ser afectada a cualquier edad, y por muy diversas patologías y circunstancias. Algunos problemas son de curso agudo con resolución rápida sin secuelas. Otros problemas vocales pueden ser decurso más prolongado, con tratamientos más complejos que lleguen incluso a requerir intervención quirúrgica con apoyo fonoaudiológico prolongado. La idea del presente artículo es orientar al médico en el enfrentamiento inicial de un paciente disfónico. Para ello se ofrecen algunas clasificaciones de la disfonía con orientación diagnóstica, se entregan algunos elementos importantes a considerar en la anamnesis y examen físico del paciente disfónico, y una pequeña reseña de las lesiones cordales más frecuentes en la práctica clínica, con el fin de poder orientar al paciente en una primera etapa diagnóstica.

The voice gives a first impression of us and it’s a part of our identity as human beings. The voice can be affected at any age, by very different pathologies and circumstances. Some problems have an acute course with a rapid and free of secuelae resolution. Other vocal problems can have longer courses, with more complex and prolonged treatments, even surgery and speech pathology support for long periods of time. The goal of this article is to provide the physician with a guide to the first management of the dysphonic patient. For this purpose, the article offers some classification with a diagnostic orientation, and presents important tips to keep in mind when the physician is taking the history and doing the physical exam of the patient. Finally, we offer an overview of the more frequent vocal lesions we see in our regular practice, in order to advice the patient in the first diagnosis approach.

Voice-related quality of life after treatment of laryngeal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To determine patient-perceived voice-related quality of life in patients treated with various methods based on the results of Voice-Related Quality of Life (VRQOL) and Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) questionnaires. DESIGN: The VRQOL and VHI-10 questionnaires. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENTS: One hundred thirty-seven patients who had received definitive treatment of laryngeal cancer were followed-up at Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, Japan, and were alive with no evidence of malignancy at the time of the survey. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Patient-perceived voice-related quality of life based on the results of the VRQOL and VHI-10 questionnaires. RESULTS: The mean VRQOL scores for patients who had undergone radiotherapy (n = 63), chemoradiotherapy (n = 29), laser surgery (n = 14), or total laryngectomy (n = 27) as final treatment of laryngeal cancer were 92.6, 92.9, 85.5, and 68.4, respectively; the mean VHI-10 scores were 2.87, 2.34, 5.43, and 11.26, respectively. CONCLUSION: The VRQOL and VHI-10 questionnaires are important in judging the overall effectiveness of treatment options for laryngeal cancer.

Voice handicap evaluation after supracricoid partial laryngectomy.

OBJECTIVES: To gather information on the vocal and professional impact of supracricoid partial laryngectomy (SCPL). STUDY DESIGN: Collection of quality of life data more than 12 months postsurgery, including expert-rated patient voice assessment (GRBAS [grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, strain] scale), self voice assessment, Voice Handicap Index (VHI), and socioprofessional data. PATIENTS: Sixty-four patients were evaluated after SCPL. The surgical procedure had been conducted for initial stage T1b or T2 glottic carcinoma. All patients had no recurrence, were decanulated, and did not have any swallowing impairment. Thirty-three patients were less than 60 years old and were professionally active at the time of surgery. The mean age was 48.5 years old (42-59 years old). Fifteen patients were working in the communications sector, so use of their voice was obligatory. Professional impact and VHI measurements were evaluated. RESULTS: For patients with professional activities before surgery, 15/33 (45%) continued their activities, whereas 55% had to withdraw from or modify these activities. For patients with communications activities, 6/15 (40%) continued their activities, 4 (26.6%) adapted, and 5 (33.3%) withdrew from their professional activities. The mean VHI value was 51.2. The mean VHI values according to the dysphonic grade (1, 2, and 3) were 36.3, 50.7, and 52.9, respectively. The mean VHI values were 45.6, 58.6, and 53.2, respectively, for patients who pursued their professional activities, withdrew from or adapted their activities, and had no professional activities. Correlations were obtained between VHI and the dysphonic grade (P = .043), cessation of professional activities (P = .034), and the time elapsed since surgery (P = .046). VHI emotional and physical subscale scores were significantly higher for patients who had withdrawn from their professional activities or adapted them. CONCLUSIONS: Supracricoid partial laryngectomy can have a marked social and professional impact. Many patients have to withdraw from professional activities in which vocal involvement is essential. The potential postsurgical social voice impact should be taken into consideration before proposing this surgery, and it is essential to estimate the possible impacts of the vocal handicap according to the patient's professional or other activities.

Disfonias Neurológicas / Dysphonias Neurologic

Os autores fazem uma revisão bibliográfica sobre disfonias neurológica, suas definições incidência, fisiopatologia, manifestações clinicas, diagnostico e tratamento.