Trastornos del habla en personas con esclerosis múltiple y su repercusión en la calidad de vida / Speech disorders in people with multiple sclerosis and its impact on the quality of life

Introducción: La esclerosis múltiple es una enfermedad desmielinizante de origen autoinmune que afecta al sistema nervioso central. Entre los daños que ocasiona se encuentran las alteraciones del habla, lo que compromete la capacidad comunicativa de las personas con esta enfermedad, disminuyendo así su calidad de vida. Objetivo: Analizar cómo influyen los trastornos de habla de las personas con esclerosis múltiple en las medidas de calidad de vida. Material y método: Participaron 45 personas con esclerosis múltiple, 14 (31.11%) con alteraciones del habla y 31 (68.88%) sin ellas. A todos se les pasó el Protocolo de Evaluación del Habla (PEH) y 2pruebas de calidad de vida (QoL-Dys y FAMS). Resultados: No se observaron diferencias en la calidad de vida general entre los participantes con y sin alteraciones del habla, pero sí en los ítems referidos a los índices de tristeza y depresión y en la prueba de calidad de vida específica respecto al habla. Conclusiones: Las personas con esclerosis múltiple muestran una reducción del tiempo máximo de fonación independientemente de que tengan o no disartria. Cuando esta está presente, la percepción que tienen sobre su calidad de vida se ve más afectada, especialmente respecto a las reacciones percibidas de terceras personas y a los índices de tristeza y depresión.(AU)

Introduction: Multiple sclerosis is a demyelinating disease of autoimmune origin that affects the central nervous system. Among the damages it causes are the alterations of speech, which compromises the communicative capacity of people with this disease, thus decreasing their quality of life. Objective: To analyze how speech disorders of people with multiple sclerosis influence quality of life measures. Material and method: 45 people with multiple sclerosis participated, 31 (68.88%) with no speech alterations and 31 (68,88%) with them. A speech assessment protocol (PEH), and 2quality of life test (QoL-Dys and FAMS) were applied to all the participants. Results: There are no differences in the general quality of life between participants with and without speech alterations, but there are differences in the items related to the rates of sadness and depression; and in the specific quality of life test regarding speech. Conclusions: People with multiple sclerosis show a reduction in maximum phonation time regardless of whether or not they have dysarthria. When this is present, their perception of their quality of life is more affected, especially with regard to the perceived reactions and the levels of sadness and depression.(AU)

Spelling problems after early oral language difficulties.

Recent research has stated that early oral language acquisition difficulties are related to reading and writing difficulties. Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) experience difficulties with several dimensions of language. In this study we focus on the specific difficulties of children with DLD in spelling. We examine the impact of lexicality and length in written production of Spanish-speaking children with DLD. A total of 18 children with language difficulties (Mage = 8;4) were compared with age-matched children (Mage = 8;2). Participants completed a spelling-to-dictation task of words and pseudo-words, where length was manipulated. A digital tablet was used to collect data and obtain measures of accuracy, latencies and total writing durations. Results showed that children with DLD produced more errors, longer latencies and longer writing durations than age-matched children. Regarding accuracy, analysis of the errors shows that children in the control group produce few errors, most being substitutions, while children with DLD made more errors and of more varied categories. Moreover, they were more affected by length on writing accuracy than the control group. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on this subject Children with language difficulties are more likely to present reading difficulties. There are fewer studies analysing the impact of oral language difficulties in writing skills. What this paper adds to existing knowledge The study suggests that children with oral language difficulties also have impairments in spelling, impacting on accuracy, duration and reaction time, possibly related to poor phonological working memory. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? This study highlights the need to emphasize early oral intervention and language-related processing skills to help prevent written language difficulties.

Voice outcomes in patients with advanced laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer treated with chemo-radiotherapy.

Objective: Patients with locally advanced laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer (LHC) are often treated with chemo-radiotherapy to avoid total laryngectomy, although voice problems may occur even if not markedly manifest. We sought to evaluate the impact of chemoradiation on voice and quality of life. Methods: We studied 21 patients with locally advanced LHC with tumour control at least two years after chemo-radiotherapy. None manifested clinical symptoms related to the treatment and maintained an activity considered as within normal limits. All patients had a voice handicap index (VHI) of less than 15. Voice function was evaluated by perceptual vocal analysis (CAPE-V) and aerodynamic and acoustic study. Quality of life was assessed with the EORTC-H&N35 (voice items 46, 53 and 54). Results: Voice changes were frequent, with alterations in all CAPE-V attributes, and predominantly type II and III spectrograms in acoustic analysis (78%). The EORTC-H&N35 scale showed a reduction in scores in 10-40% of items related to voice. Conclusions: Subclinical voice disorders are common after chemo-radiotherapy. Although patients consider vocal impairment to be very minor and to not interfere with their daily life, it may contribute to a reduced quality of life.

Peculiaridades anatómicas que influyen en la voz erigmofónica / Anatomical peculiarities having an influence on esophageal voice

La laringectomía total ocasiona un cambio morfológico trascendente en el aparato vocal, que altera totalmente el mecanismo fisiológico de la voz. Objetivo: describir aspectos claves de la morfología del aparato vocal de las personas que utilizan la voz erigmofónica para su comunicación. Material y método: estudio prospectivo de 15 pacientes laringectomizados que utilizan voz erigmofónica en los que se aplicaron los test VHI-30, CAPE-V y una exploración clínica y endoscópica, destacando los aspectos morfológicos que podrían influir en la voz. Resultados: el VHI-30 revela que perciben su voz como limitación leve y moderada. El CAPE-V indica una afectación media y grave. El VHI-30 (grados leve y moderado) se relaciona significativamente con la severidad global del CAPE-V. En la exploración clínica de la cavidad oral y el traqueostoma no se observan alteraciones que se relacionen con la valoración del CAPE-V. La exploración endoscópica muestra tendencias entre volúmenes y áreas de la cavidad faríngea y del esófago con el CAPE-V, pero sin llegar a valores significativos. Las formas de botón y diafragma del segmento faringoesofágico exhiben una tendencia similar. Conclusiones: la calidad de la voz erigmofónica percibida por el explorador dependería, en cierta medida, de las características anatómicas del nuevo aparato vocal del laringectomizado

Total laryngectomy causes a morphological change in the vocal apparatus, which totally alters the physiological mechanism of the voice. Aim: the objective of this article is to describe key aspects of the vocal apparatus morphology of patients who use the esophageal voice to communicate. Material and method: prospective study of 15 patients with esophageal voice in which the VHI-30, CAPE-V and a clinical and endoscopic exploration were performed, highlighting the morphological aspects that could influence the voice. Results: the VHI-30 reveals that they perceive their voice as a mild and moderate limitation. The CAPE-V indicates a medium and severe affectation. Both tests are significantly related in the mild and severe grades of VHI with the global severity of CAPE-V. The clinical exploration of the oral cavity and tracheostoma doesn't show that its variables present a trend with CAPE-V. Endoscopic exploration shows trends in the relationship between volumes and areas of the pharyngeal cavity and esophagus with the CAPE-V, but without reaching significant values. The button and diaphragm shapes of the pharyngoesophageal segment exhibit the same tendency. Conclusions: the variables studied indicate that the quality of the esophageal voice would depend, to some extent, on the anatomical characteristics of the new laryngectomized vocal apparatus

La voz del laringectomizado: incapacidad, percepción y análisis acústico / Laryngectomized voice rehabilitation: handicap, perception and acoustic analysis

Los pacientes laringectomizados tienen una limitación muy importante al perder la función vocal. La rehabilitación de la voz se realiza por erigmofonía o prótesis fonatoria. Ambos procedimientos son útiles pero tienen diferencias evidentes en la calidad vocal obtenida. Objetivo. Determinar cómo es percibida la voz rehabilitada con ambos procedimientos por los pacientes y observadores, completando el estudio con su análisis acústico. Material y método. Pacientes laringectomizados (n = 18) con voz rehabilitada con erigmofonía (n = 10) y prótesis fonatoria (n = 8). Estudio por medio de VHI-30, análisis acústico (F0, TMF, HNR, «speech-rate», intensidad y espectrograma) y evaluación perceptual (GRBAS y CAPE-V). Resultados. El VHI-30 presenta valores similares en ambos tipos de voz rehabilitada. El análisis acústico muestra diferencias importantes entre ambos tipos de voces, siendo los valores obtenidos con prótesis fonatoria más parecidos a los de la voz laríngea. La evaluación perceptual indica mayor grado de afectación en la voz erigmofónica que en la prótesis fonatoria. No se observa relación significativa entre lo percibido por los pacientes con ambos tipos de voces rehabilitadas y lo valorado por el observador. Los estudios acústicos y perceptuales muestran valores más próximos a la normalidad en la voz de prótesis fonatoria (AU)

Laryngectomized patients have a very important limitation when they lose the vocal function. Voice rehabilitation is fulfilled by means of the esophageal voice or by means of a phonatory prosthesis. Both methods are useful but they have evident differences concerning the vocal quality obtained. Objective. Determine how rehabilitated voice is perceived with both methods by patients and observers, completing the study with its acoustic analysis. Material and method. Laryngectomized patients (n = 18) with rehabilitated voice by means of esophageal voice (n = 10) and phonatory prosthesis (n = 8). A study was made through the VHI-30, acoustic analysis (F0, TMF,HNR, «speech rate», intensity and spectrogram) and perceptual evaluation (GRBAS and CAPE-V). Results. VHI-30 displays similar values in both types of rehabilitated voice. The acoustic analysis shows differences between both types of rehabilitated voices and the usual laryngeal voice. The perceptual study presents a higher degree of affectation on the esophageal voice than on the PF one. There is no relation between what the patient perceives and what the observer values. The acoustic and perceptual studies show closer values to normality in the phonatory prosthesis voice (AU)