Phonatory function associated with hyperfunctionally related vocal fold lesions

Abstract

A combination of noninvasive acoustic and aerodynamic measures were used to compare and contrast vocal function among patients having one of four major types of hyperfunctionally related vocal fold lesions: nodules, polyps, polypoid degeneration, or contact ulcers. Measures included: (a) vocal intensity and fundamental frequency, (b) parameters derived from inverse filtered approximations of the glottal airflow waveform and (c) estimates of transglottal pressure and average glottal airflow. Preliminary results showed that a combination of measures of fundamental frequency, transglottal pressure, and maximum declination rate of the glottal airflow waveform appeared to differentiate among three of the different types of lesions studied (nodules, polypoid degeneration, and contact ulcers). These results were interpreted as evidence that different underlying phonatory mechanisms are associated with different types of hyperfunctionally related vocal fold lesions. A combination of noninvasive acoustic and aerodynamic measures were used to compare and contrast vocal function among patients having one of four major types of hyperfunctionally related vocal fold lesions: nodules, polyps, polypoid degeneration, or contact ulcers. Measures included: (a) vocal intensity and fundamental frequency, (b) parameters derived from inverse filtered approximations of the glottal airflow waveform and (c) estimates of transglottal pressure and average glottal airflow. Preliminary results showed that a combination of measures of fundamental frequency, transglottal pressure, and maximum declination rate of the glottal airflow waveform appeared to differentiate among three of the different types of lesions studied (nodules, polypoid degeneration, and contact ulcers). These results were interpreted as evidence that different underlying phonatory mechanisms are associated with different types of hyperfunctionally related vocal fold lesions.