Prevalence of Phonatory Symptoms and Acoustic Findings in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease

Abstract

Objectives: Investigate phonatory symptoms and acoustic and aerodynamic findings in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) compared to a control group. Methods: A total of 40 subjects, 27 COPD and 13 control subjects matched according to age and sex, were enrolled in this study. All subjects were asked about the presence or absence of dysphonia, degree of vocal fatigue, and phonatory effort. Perceptual evaluation, acoustic analysis, and aerodynamic measurements were also performed. Patient self-assessment using the Voice Handicap Index 10 was reported. Results: There was a statistically significant difference in the prevalence of dysphonia between the 2 groups (12% vs 0%, P < .05) with a significant difference in the mean score of respiratory effort and vocal fatigue ( P = .011, .012, respectively). There was no significant difference in any of the perceptual parameters between the 2 groups except for roughness ( P = .009). There was no significant difference in the means of any of the acoustic parameters between patients and controls. There was also no significant difference in the maximum phonation time between the 2 groups ( P = .916). Conclusions: Dysphonia is significantly more prevalent in patients with COPD compared to controls.