Voice Assessment Research Articles

With or without you? Exploring student perception survey assessment data as a teacher-student (un)shared process

ABSTRACT Student voice initiatives such as Student Perception Surveys (SPS) are increasingly promoted by education authorities to assess teaching for learning improvement. Nevertheless, considerable ambiguity surrounds teacher and student consultation and involvement during the implementation of and response to SPS, suggesting students’ scepticism in the power of their voice and teachers’ struggle to act upon this important assessment data. Utilising Fielding’s Students as Researchers framework —complemented with Dewey’s Problem-Solving method —this study explores Australian secondary teachers’ experiences of researching SPS with their students, as co-researchers, in their efforts to act on such surveys. Teachers’ interviews and their SPS-based Participatory Action Research (PAR) projects reveal two key findings regarding the teacher-student consultation and involvement in the survey unpacking process. Firstly, the teachers promoted students as SPS discussants and co-researchers but avoided them as researchers (initiators); advancing democratic participation for educational development yet employing an active conscious strategy to protect themselves and/or their students in the SPS research process. Secondly, findings portray assessment puzzles of practice, demonstrating how despite declaring ‘survey fatigue,’ the teachers administered additional surveys as a heuristic SPS problem solving approach. Implications include guidance for education authorities regarding improvement of teacher learning through the dissemination of student voice assessment data-based research.

441. COMBINING LARYNGEAL ULTRASONOGRAPHY (LUSG) WITH VOICE ASSESSMENT OR INTRA-OPERATIVE NERVE MONITORING RESULTS ACCURATELY CONFIRMS NORMAL VOCAL CORD FUNCTION AFTER ESOPHAGECTOMY

Abstract Background Conventional diagnosis of vocal cord paresis (VCP) after esophagectomy relies on flexible laryngoscopy (FL), which is invasive. As most patients had normal post-operative VC function, a non-invasive alternative such as laryngeal ultrasonography (LUSG) may avoid unnecessary FL. LUSG was well-known to be accurate for post-thyroidectomy VC evaluation, but its accuracy following esophagectomy was unclear. This prospective study assessed the feasibility and accuracy of LUSG to evaluate VC function on day-1 after esophagectomy. Methods Consecutive patients from a tertiary teaching hospital who underwent elective esophagectomy were prospectively recruited. All patients received FL and LUSG pre-operative and on post-operative Day-1, each performed by an independent, experienced blinded assessor. Exclusion criteria include pre-operative VCP and lost to VC evaluation at any time points. The primary outcome was the accuracy of LUSG in the diagnosis of VCP on Day-1 post-esophagectomy. The accuracy of intermittent intra-operative nerve monitoring (IIONM) and voice assessment (VA) after surgery for the diagnosis of VCP were also analyzed. Results Twenty-six patients were eligible for analysis. The median age was 70 years (66–73). Majority were male (84.6%) and had squamous cell carcinoma. (88.5%). Twenty-five (96.2%) received three-phase esophagectomy. Twenty-four (96%) had anastomosis at the neck at the same stage. There were three (11.5%) temporary and one (3.8%) permanent unilateral VCP. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of LUSG were 75.0%, 100.0% and 98.1% respectively, which were superior to IIONM alone (50%, 90.3%, 87.9%) or VA alone (50%, 90.9%, 84.6%). Combining LUSG with VA or IIONM improved sensitivity and negative predictive value to 100.0% and could avoid 77% FLs. Conclusion LUSG is an accurate method to evaluate VC function in the early post-operative period after esophagectomy. Combining LUSG with VA or IIONM results accurately confirms normal VC function after esophagectomy, and can avoid a majority of FLs.

Comparison between Voice Disorders among Female Professional and Nonprofessional Voice Users Dealing with Early School Aged Children

Abstract Background Voice disorders are common among females; a main cause is their continuous communication with children as their caregivers. Teachers are exposed to voice abuse and misuse and so also housewives, both of them use their voice excessively to deal with children. Aim of the Work The aim of this study is to compare between voice disorders among female professional and non-professional voice users, in order to identify voice problems affecting nonprofessional voice users for prevention, early detection and proper management to avoid serious vocal health injuries. Study Design a comparative cross-sectional study. Patients and Methods This study included 100 adult female patients who complained of symptoms of voice disorders and were subjected for voice evaluation at the Phoniatrics Unit, Ain Shams University Hospitals. The participated patients were aged between 20 years to 50 years and were divided into 2 groups 50 in each group, group I (teachers) and group II (housewives). Detailed history taking, auditory perceptual assessment of voice (APA), video-laryngoscopic examination, documentation of the auditory perceptual assessment, acoustic analysis and application of Arabic VHI (voice handicap index) were done for all cases. Results The duration of the voice complaint was longer in teachers than housewives. There was nonsignificant difference between both groups regarding the presence of phonasthenic symptoms. The impact of compliant regarding patients own rating of the severity and effect on daily life was higher` in housewives than in teachers, but there was non-significant difference between both groups regarding the listener reaction. There was non-significant difference between teachers and housewives as regard the APA in the overall grade of dysphonia and voice quality. The most prevalent diagnosis of voice disorders among teachers was the vocal fold nodules, while phonasthenia was the most prevalent in housewives. There was a significant difference between the teachers and housewives as regard the total score, functional and emotional subscales of VHI. Results of the acoustic analysis revealed a significant difference between teachers and housewives as regard average F0, jitter % where teachers had higher scores than housewives. While there was non-significant difference as regard RAP, shimm%, APQ and NHR between both groups. A significant positive correlation was found between number of children and functional, emotional and total VHI score in housewives group. There was a significant positive correlation between number of students and patient’s own rating of severity and years of teaching in teachers group. Moreover, there was a highly significant positive relation between having children and emotional subscale of VHI in teachers group. Also, there was a significant positive relation between number of children and functional subscale of VHI in housewives group. Conclusion Voice disorders are common among housewives (Nonprofessional voice users) the same as in teachers (Professional voice users) especially when dealing with early school aged children. Recommendation There is need to increase awareness among the housewives about the importance of voice in their daily life, risk factors for voice problems, how to protect themselves from developing vocal pathologies and when to consult the medical professional.

Exploring Symptoms of Gastroesophageal Reflux in the Egyptian Patients with Non-Organic Voice Disorders

Abstract Background Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is an entity with heartburn, regurgitation, chest and stomach pain, and the feeling of gastric acid coming up. Aim of the Work This study aimed to explore symptoms of GERD in patients with nonorganic voice disorders using the Arabic version of Reflux Symptom Index (A-RSI). Subjects and Methods This study was applied on 50 Egyptian Arabic-speaking patients in the age range between 20 to 59 years old. Patients included were diagnosed with non-organic voice disorders according to the protocol of voice assessment used in the Phoniatrics outpatient clinic in Ain Shams University Hospitals. The participated patients were asked to fulfill the ARSI questions and their answers were related to their age, gender, duration of their voice symptoms, and the overall grade of their dysphonia as assessed by the GRBAS scale. Results Analysis of the answers of the participated patients to the A-RSI, revealed that only 40% of patients had a total score of the A-RSI above 13. This indicates that the participated patients with non-organic voice disorders have symptoms of GER. There was an insignificant correlation between the scores of the A-RSI and the age, gender, and duration of voice symptoms. The total score of A-RSI is indirectly related to the overall grade of dysphonia of the participated patients. Conclusion Patients with non-organic voice disorders have symptoms of GERD, however these symptoms are not related to the duration of their voice symptoms and related indirectly to the overall grade of their dysphonic voices. GER may be a contributing etiological factor in non-organic voice disorders but need to be confirmed by further assessment.

Effects of different medical masks on acoustic and aerodynamic voice assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of the surgical masks and N95 masks on the acoustic and aerodynamic parameters of voice assessment during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. The challenge of the study was to enable each inexperienced participant to perform a number of acoustic and aerodynamic voice assessment in a qualified and homogeneous manner without and with medical masks, and to minimize the individual differences. There were 32 healthy participants recruited in the study, including 16 males and 16 females. The acoustic parameters analyzed included fundamental frequency, standard deviation of fundamental frequency (fundamental frequency standard deviation), percentage of jitter (%), percentage of shimmer (%), glottal-to-noise excitation ratio (GNE), and the parameters of irregularity, noise and overall severity. The aerodynamic parameters included s time, z time, s/z ratio and maximum phonation time. When wearing surgical masks, the GNE ratio (P = .043) significantly increased, whereas noise (P = .039) and s time (P = .018) significantly decreased. When wearing N95 masks, the percentage of shimmer (P = .049), s time (P = .037) and s/z ratio (P = .048) significantly decrease. In general, performing voice assessment with a medical mask proved to be reliable for most of the acoustic and aerodynamic parameters. It is worth noting that the shimmer (%), could be slightly impacted when wearing N95 masks. Wearing surgical masks might slightly influence the measurement of noise and higher GNE ratio. The s/z ratio could be affected when wearing N95 masks. The contribution of the study is to explore acoustic and aerodynamic parameters that might be easily affected by wearing masks during the voice assessment, and provide references for clinical evaluation of voice disorders during the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019.

A Prospective Study Evaluating the Feasibility and Accuracy of Post-operative Laryngeal Ultrasonography (LUSG) in Assessment of Vocal Cord Function After Esophagectomy.

Vocal cord paresis (VCP) is a serious complication after esophagectomy. Conventional diagnosis of VCP relies on flexible laryngoscopy (FL), which is invasive. Laryngeal ultrasonography (LUSG) is non-invasive and convenient. It has provided accurate VC evaluation after thyroidectomy but it is unclear if it is just as accurate following esophagectomy. This prospective study evaluated the feasibility and accuracy of LUSG in VC assessment on day-1 after esophagectomy. Consecutive patients from a tertiary teaching hospital who underwent elective esophagectomy were prospectively recruited. All received pre-operative FL, and post-operative LUSG and FL on Day-1, each performed by a blinded, independent assessor. The primary outcomes were feasibility and accuracy of LUSG in the diagnosis of VCP on Day-1 post-esophagectomy. The accuracy of voice assessment (VA) was analyzed. Twenty-six patients were eligible for analysis. The median age was 70years (66-73). Majority were male (84.6%). Twenty-five (96.2%) received three-phase esophagectomy. Twenty-four (96%) had same-stage anastomosis at the neck. Three (11.5%) developed temporary and one (3.8%) developed permanent unilateral VCP. Overall VC visualization rate by LUSG was 100%; sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy of LUSG were 75.0%, 100%, 100%, 98.0%, 98.1% respectively, and superior to VA. Combining LUSG with VA findings could pick up all VCPs i.e. improved sensitivity and NPV to 100%. LUSG is a highly feasible, accurate and non-invasive method to evaluate VC function early after esophagectomy. Post-operative FL may be avoided in patients with both normal LUSG and voice.

Auditory-Perceptual Assessments of Cough: Characterizing Rater Reliability and the Effects of a Standardized Training Protocol

Introduction: Auditory-perceptual assessments of cough are commonly used by speech-language pathologists working with people with swallowing disorders with emerging evidence beginning to demonstrate their validity; however, their reliability among novice clinicians is unknown. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to characterize the reliability of auditory-perceptual assessments of cough among a group of novice clinicians. As a secondary aim, we assessed the effects of a standardized training protocol on the reliability of auditory-perceptual assessments of cough. Methods: Twelve novice clinicians blindly rated ten auditory-perceptual cough descriptors for 120 cough audio clips. Standardized training was then completed by the group of clinicians. The same cough audio clips were then re-randomized and blindly rated. Reliability was analyzed pre- and post-training within each clinician (intra-rater), between each unique pair of raters (dyad-level inter-rater), and for the entire group of raters (group-level inter-rater) using intraclass correlation coefficients and Cohen’s Kappa. Results: Pre-training reliability was greatest for measures of strength, effectiveness, and normality and lowest when judging the type of expiratory maneuver (cough, throat clear, huff, other). The measures that improved the most with training were ratings of perceived crispness, amount of voicing, and type of expiratory maneuver. Intra-rater reliability coefficients ranged from 0.580 to 0.903 pre-training and 0.756–0.904 post-training. Dyad-level inter-rater reliability coefficients ranged from 0.295 to 0.745 pre-training and 0.450–0.804 post-training. Group-level inter-rater reliability coefficients ranged from 0.454 to 0.919 pre-training and 0.558–0.948 post-training. Conclusion: Reliability of auditory-perceptual assessments varied across perceptual cough descriptors, but all appeared within the range of what has been historically reported for auditory-perceptual assessments of voice and visual-perceptual assessments of swallowing and cough airflow. Reliability improved for most cough descriptors following 30–60 min of standardized training. Future research is needed to examine the validity of auditory-perceptual assessments of cough by assessing the relationship between perceptual cough descriptors and instrumental measures of cough effectiveness to better understand the role of perceptual assessments in clinical practice.

Development of a voice and motor speech assessment protocol across an academic health center

Development of a voice and motor speech assessment protocol across an academic health center

Combined treatment of muscle tension dysphonia: voice therapy with instrumental postural rehabilitation.

This investigation aimed to propose a new rehabilitation technique that combines voice exercises and instrumental postural rehabilitation for patients with muscle tension dysphonia (MTD). We enrolled nine dysphonic patients (8 women and 1 man, aged 22-55 years). Voice assessment included strobovideolaryngoscopy, Maximum Phonation Time (MPT), perceptual evaluation by GRBAS scale and patient's self-rating by Italian version of the Voice Handicap Index (VHI). Vestibular function was evaluated by the Bed Side Examination and Video Head Impulse test (VHIT). Postural control was evaluated by Dynamic Posturography (DP) using the Sensory Organization Test (SOT) and analysing the Equilibrium Score (ES) and balance subsystems (somatosensorial, visual, vestibular). All cases underwent different types of voice exercises combined with balance training based on NeuroCom Balance Master Protocols, once a week for six 35-minutes sessions. After therapy, an improvement in MPT, VHI, GRBAS scores and endoscopic laryngeal features was obtained. DP results at baseline were normal and after therapy we showed a slight improvement of ES (somatosensorial and visual components). A combined rehabilitation technique for MTD, by improving the attention to postural control, allows for significant improvement in vocal symptoms.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Resonant Voice Therapy in Patients with Functional Voice Disorder

This study aims to determine the effectiveness of resonant voice therapy (RVT) in patients with functional voice disorder and to examine the subjective and objective voice changes after the therapy. This study adopted an experimental research design with a pretest-posttest control group. Thirty-four women participated in the study-17 in the experimental group and 17 in the control group. Voice hygiene training and RVT were applied to the experimental group. The Turkish version of the Voice Handicap Index (VHI-10) and GRBAS (Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, and Strain)scale were used for subjective voice assessment. Voice recordings were subjected to acoustic analysis on the PRAAT program. After an 8-week therapy program, the same process was repeated for post-test assessment. In the voice analyses performed after RVT, which was applied to patients with functional voice disorders, the results of the acoustic analysis showed statistically significant differences in jitter, PPQ5, RAP, shimmer, APQ11, and NHR parameters. Subjective voice analysis indicated a statistically significant decrease in VHI-10 scores from 20.88±5.33-9.06±3.3 in the experimental group. The GRBAS score was 4.29±1.2 before the therapy and 1.71±1.1 after the therapy, which is a statistically significant decrease. The results point out that RVT has been effective in improving the objective and subjective parameters of patients with functional voice disorders. RVT applied to patients with functional voice disorders provides significant improvement in acoustic and perceptual voice parameters. The RVT is an effective therapy method in the treatment of patients with functional voice disorders and should be considered as a therapeutic option.

Introduction of Voice Type Component (VTC) as an Effective Acoustic Voice Analysis Method in Tele-evaluation

Telepractice in voice healthcare and evaluation services has attracted much attention in recent years. Multiple studies have proven the effectiveness of voice therapy with telepractice. However, voice evaluations are still mostly conducted in person due to the lack of sensitive acoustic analysis methods. This study examined various acoustic analysis methods for voice evaluation in telepractice. Eighteen female elementary school teachers with self-reported voice disorders volunteered to participate in the study. Speech samples were collected before and after the interventions using two voice sampling methods concurrently. One set of data was collected using the traditional voice sample collection method by the therapist in person. The second set of data was collected on the same speech samples using the clients' own smartphones, and the collected voice samples were later sent to the researcher for further acoustic analysis. The voice type component (VTC) measurement represented the proportion of different VTCs in a voice by measuring the chaos and intrinsic dimension. Voice analyses were conducted on both sets of data, and the correlation between the two sampling procedures was analyzed. It appears that the VTC could be a more reliable method for producing acoustic analysis results with voice samples collected from smartphones compared to other objective voice assessment procedures. This reliability has been demonstrated via statistical analysis, including correlation coefficient, pairwise t test, d-prime,and area under the curve. The results of this study highlighted the VTC as an effective and accurate acoustic analysis method in tele-evaluation. This feasible voice sampling method, which utilizes participants' own smartphones, will reduce barriers to accessing limited voice specialists due to distance and will decrease the cost of care by minimizing expenses associated with travel and additional equipment for voice sampling. Ultimately, this approach will enhance the effectiveness of voice care delivered through telepractice to patients in remote and underserved areas.

Extent and Effect of Covering Laryngeal Structures with Synthetic Laryngeal Mucus via Two Different Administration Techniques

The first goal of this study was to investigate the coverage of laryngeal structures using two potential administration techniques for synthetic mucus: inhalation and lozenge ingestion. As a second research question, the study investigated the potential effects of these techniques on standardized voice assessment parameters. Fluorescein was added to throat lozenges and to an inhalation solution to visualize the coverage of laryngeal structures through blue light imaging. The study included 70 vocally healthy subjects. Fifty subjects underwent administration via lozenge ingestion and 20 subjects performed the inhalation process. For the first research question, the recordings from the blue light imaging system were categorized to compare the extent of coverage on individual laryngeal structures objectively. Secondly, a standardized voice evaluation protocol was performed before and after each administration to determine any measurable effects of typical voice parameters. The administration via inhalation demonstrated complete coverage of all laryngeal structures, including the vocal folds, ventricular folds, and arytenoid cartilages, as visualized by the fluorescent dye. In contrast, the application of the lozenge predominantly covered the pharynx and laryngeal surface toward the aryepiglottic fold, but not the inferior structures. All in all, the comparison before and after administration showed no clear effect, although a minor deterioration of the acoustic signal was noted in the shimmer and cepstral peak prominence after the inhalation. Our findings indicate that the inhalation process is a more effective technique for covering deeper laryngeal structures such as the vocal folds and ventricular folds with synthetic mucus. This knowledge enables further in vivo studies on the role of laryngeal mucus in phonation in general, and how it can be substituted or supplemented for patients with reduced glandular activity as well as for heavy voice users.

The voice characterisation checklist: psychometric properties of a brief clinical assessment of voices as social agents.

There is growing interest in tailoring psychological interventions for distressing voices and a need for reliable tools to assess phenomenological features which might influence treatment response. This study examines the reliability and internal consistency of the Voice Characterisation Checklist (VoCC), a novel 10-item tool which assesses degree of voice characterisation, identified as relevant to a new wave of relational approaches. The sample comprised participants experiencing distressing voices, recruited at baseline on the AVATAR2 trial between January 2021 and July 2022 (n = 170). Inter-rater reliability (IRR) and internal consistency analyses (Cronbach's alpha) were conducted. The majority of participants reported some degree of voice personification (94%) with high endorsement of voices as distinct auditory experiences (87%) with basic attributes of gender and age (82%). While most identified a voice intention (75%) and personality (76%), attribution of mental states (35%) to the voice ('What are they thinking?') and a known historical relationship (36%) were less common. The internal consistency of the VoCC was acceptable (10 items, α = 0.71). IRR analysis indicated acceptable to excellent reliability at the item-level for 9/10 items and moderate agreement between raters' global (binary) classification of more vs. less highly characterised voices, κ = 0.549 (95% CI, 0.240-0.859), p < 0.05. The VoCC is a reliable and internally consistent tool for assessing voice characterisation and will be used to test whether voice characterisation moderates treatment outcome to AVATAR therapy. There is potential wider utility within clinical trials of other relational therapies as well as routine clinical practice.

Эффект социальной тревоги и стыда в развитии голосов: метакогнитивная обработка неблагоприятного опыта отношений и бдительность к социальным угрозам

&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Contemporary representations of auditory hallucinations have intensified the assessment of voices as meaningful representations of the stress of interpersonal traumatic experiences. The aim of the study was to verify the relationship between social anxiety, voices, shame, and metacognitive strategies and to examine the features of attention distortion and cognitive activity in a conflict task using social-emotional stimuli and feedback in social anxiety. The total sample consisted of 122 individuals (32 males and 90 females; M&lt;sub&gt;age&lt;/sub&gt;=26.11, SD&lt;sub&gt;age&lt;/sub&gt;=8.60). The clinical group consisted of 49 persons with subpsychotic (n=28; 7 men and 21 women, M&lt;sub&gt;age&lt;/sub&gt;=24.54, SD&lt;sub&gt;age&lt;/sub&gt;=5.59) and psychotic symptoms (n=21, 12 men and 9 women, M&lt;sub&gt;age&lt;/sub&gt;=28.64, SD&lt;sub&gt;age&lt;/sub&gt;=11.14). The nonclinical group consisted of 73 subjects (13 men and 60 women, M&lt;sub&gt;age&lt;/sub&gt;=25.58, SD&lt;sub&gt;age&lt;/sub&gt;=8.51). In both groups, subjects reliably reported thinking objectification, dissociative phenomena, and voices. A subgroup (n=31, 10 men and 21 women, M&lt;sub&gt;age&lt;/sub&gt;=19.87, SD&lt;sub&gt;age&lt;/sub&gt;=1.22) was selected to participate in the experiment, divided by the level of social anxiety: high (n=16, 4 men and 12 women, M&lt;sub&gt;age&lt;/sub&gt;=19.96, SD&lt;sub&gt;age&lt;/sub&gt;=1.14) and low (n=15, 6 men and 9 women, M&lt;sub&gt;age&lt;/sub&gt;=19.34, SD&lt;sub&gt;age&lt;/sub&gt;=1.05). The following techniques were used: Russian-language versions of the Thought Suppression and Rumination Scale (adapted by Dorosheva, Knyazev, 2017); the Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (adapted by Grigorieva, Enikolopov, 2016); author's Psychotic Experiences Questionnaire (2023), Social Anxiety and Social Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (2016) and Self-Focused Attention Questionnaire (2016). After the diagnosis of psychological parameters, an eye-tracking experiment was conducted using a modified flanking Ericksen task. It was found that thought suppression (F&lt;sub&gt;(1;120)&lt;/sub&gt;=11.11; p=0.001), rumination (F&lt;sub&gt;(1;120)&lt;/sub&gt;=7.43; p=0.01), self-focused attention (F&lt;sub&gt;(1;120)&lt;/sub&gt;=3.85; p=0.05), social anxiety (F&lt;sub&gt;(1;120)&lt;/sub&gt;=7.30; p=0.01), and shame (F&lt;sub&gt;(1;120)&lt;/sub&gt;=21.62; p&amp;lt;0.001) than in the absence of such experiences. We obtained a two-factor solution (each factor explains 30% of the variance) reflecting metacognitive pathways of voice formation: 1) self-focus supports social anxiety, shame, a tendency to suppress thoughts, and the emergence of voices; 2) pronounced thought suppression and rumination associated with shame increase the likelihood of voices, with the detectability of social anxiety attenuated. Significant differences (p&amp;lt;0.001) were found between the high and low social anxiety groups in the parameters of eye-movement and behavioral activity in the eye-tracking experiment (e.g., total test passage time, total number of fixations, response time after a mistaken decision, number of fixations of the off-target stimulus &amp;mdash; the central face &amp;mdash; and the target stimulus). The conclusion is that further research is needed to clarify the direction of the relationship between psychological parameters and voice experience.&lt;/p&gt;

Effects of Speech and Language Therapists’ Personality Traits and Cognitive Emotion Regulation on the Perceptual Evaluation of Dysphonia

As in many healthcare fields, it is essential to establish clinical standards for voice assessments; however, some individual characteristics of clinicians, such as their personalities, may affect assessment reliability. Therefore, this study aims to examine the relationship between the personality traits and cognitive emotion regulation strategies of speech-language therapists (SLTs) and their GRBAS (Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, Strain) scoring. The study group comprised 33 SLTs and 9 women with dysphonia. The Five-Factor Personality Inventory (FFPI) and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) were used to assess SLTs' psychological traits. The SLTs evaluated the acoustic recordings of sustained vowel phonation /a/ obtained from individuals with dysphonia, using the GRBAS scale. Cronbach's alpha was used to assess inter-rater reliability, and Spearman's correlation analysis was used to analyze the relationships among the variables. The findings revealed that the FFPI dimensions were weakly and significantly related to Grade (G) and Strain (S). In the maladaptive dimensions, with an increase in the scores of the neuroticism dimension of FPPI and the catastrophizing dimension of CERQ, the SLTs gave significantly higher scores to Grade (G). In addition, with an increase in the score of rumination or focus on thought, the SLTs perceived Strain (S) more negatively. Consistent with these findings, in the adaptive dimensions, the SLTs gave higher scores to Grade (G) as the positive refocusing and positive reappraisal scores decreased. The findings of this study showed that, as some maladaptive aspects of personality and cognitive emotion regulation increased and adaptive aspects decreased, the SLTs' perceptions of Grade (G) and Strain (S) became more negative. Additionally, these results suggested the possibility of advanced confounding variables beyond primary factors, such as training and experience in the perceptual voice assessment of the SLTs, and the importance of standardizing professional practices, such as the observation and supervision of experts.

Comparison and Relation Between Vocal Tract Discomfort and Voice Handicap Index in Teachers With and Without Muscle Tension Dysphonia

Objective One of the most voice-related complaints in teachers is vocal tract discomfort (VTD) which can increase the voice handicap index (VHI) to different degrees. In teachers Muscle Tension Dysphonia (MTD), increases voice complaints and decreases the voice-related quality of life. The aims of this study were to evaluate and compare the frequency and severity subscales of the VTD score and total score of VHI and determine the relation between them in primary school teachers with and without MTD. Materials &amp; Methods This study was cross-sectional and was performed on 80 primary female teachers with and without MTD. The participants in both groups were randomly selected after checking the inclusion criteria. Voice history, auditory-perceptual assessment of voice, palpation, and laryngeal video-stroboscopy were assessed on the teachers in two groups. Then, asked the participants to complete the Persian versions of the VTD and VHI scales. After determining the normal distribution of the data using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, the results of VTD, VHI, and their subscales were compared between two groups with an independent t-test. Also, the relationship between them was assessed with the Pearson correlation coefficient analysis. Results The mean score of the frequency subscale of VTD in teachers with MTD was more than in teachers without MTD (30.17±5.11, 8.22±2.26), respectively. The score of severity subscales of VTD in teachers with MTD was 39.12±4.94 and in teachers without MTD was 7.89±2.13. Also, the total score of the VHI questionnaire in teachers with MTD was significantly higher than teachers without MTD (P&lt;0.05). Moreover, there was a significant positive correlation between the frequency and severity subscales of VTD and the total score of VHI in the two groups (P&lt;0.05). Conclusion This study showed the frequency and severity scores of the VTD and the degree of VHI experienced by MTD are remarkably higher than teachers without MTD. The authors emphasize on the use of VTD and VHI scales in screening teachers who are at risk of voice problems, and the researchers pointed out the importance of paying attention to the reduction of discomfort feelings in the vocal tract and voice handicap in the voice therapy sessions of teachers with MTD.

Determining Cutoff Point in Bahasa Malaysia Version of Voice Handicap Index-10 (mVHI-10)

Determining the cutoff point on Bahasa Malaysia version of Voice Handicap Index (mVHI-10) questionnaire scores for distinguishing between dysphonic and normal voice samples. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the tertiary hospital, Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck clinic. The study involved 205 subjects (105 in the dysphonia group; 100 in the normal group) with a complete database of flexible laryngoscopy/stroboscopy, voice recording, acoustic analysis, and mVHI-10 score. A sample with a discrepancy between subjective evaluation and acoustic analysis results was excluded from the study. Each classified dataset matched with the respective mVHI-10 questionnaire score. Finally, all the collected data were subjected to data analysis. The best cutoff point for mVHI-10 was 7.5 by the receiver operating characteristiccurve, with an area under the curve value of 0.997. Its sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 92.4%, 100.0%, 100.0%, and 93.0%, respectively. The best cutoff point for mVHI-10 is 7.5, as determined by stringent data evaluation and rigorous statistical analysis. With excellent diagnostic accuracy properties, it enhances the usage of the mVHI-10 questionnaire as an excellent screening tool. Nevertheless, we advocate multidimensional voice assessment for diagnostic purposes.

Reliability of Universal-Platform-Based Voice Screen Application in AVQI Measurements Captured with Different Smartphones.

The aim of the study was to develop a universal-platform-based (UPB) application suitable for different smartphones for estimation of the Acoustic Voice Quality Index (AVQI) and evaluate its reliability in AVQI measurements and normal and pathological voice differentiation. Our study group consisted of 135 adult individuals, including 49 with normal voices and 86 patients with pathological voices. The developed UPB "Voice Screen" application installed on five iOS and Android smartphones was used for AVQI estimation. The AVQI measures calculated from voice recordings obtained from a reference studio microphone were compared with AVQI results obtained using smartphones. The diagnostic accuracy of differentiating normal and pathological voices was evaluated by applying receiver-operating characteristics. One-way ANOVA analysis did not detect statistically significant differences between mean AVQI scores revealed using a studio microphone and different smartphones (F = 0.759; p = 0.58). Almost perfect direct linear correlations (r = 0.991-0.987) were observed between the AVQI results obtained with a studio microphone and different smartphones. An acceptable level of precision of the AVQI in discriminating between normal and pathological voices was yielded, with areas under the curve (AUC) displaying 0.834-0.862. There were no statistically significant differences between the AUCs (p > 0.05) obtained from studio and smartphones' microphones. The significant difference revealed between the AUCs was only 0.028. The UPB "Voice Screen" application represented an accurate and robust tool for voice quality measurements and normal vs. pathological voice screening purposes, demonstrating the potential to be used by patients and clinicians for voice assessment, employing both iOS and Android smartphones.

Mitigation of Respirable Aerosol Particles from Speech and Language Therapy Exercises

Phonation and speech are known sources of respirable aerosol in humans. Voice assessment and treatment manipulate all the subsystems of voice production, and previous work (Saccente-Kennedy et al., 2022) has demonstrated such activities can generate >10 times more aerosol than conversational speech and 30 times more aerosol than breathing. Aspects of voice therapy may therefore be considered aerosol generating procedures and pose a greater risk of potential airborne pathogen (eg, SARS-CoV-2) transmission than typical speech. Effective mitigation measures may be required to ensure safe service delivery for therapist and patient. To assess the effectiveness of mitigation measures in reducing detectable respirable aerosol produced by voice assessment/therapy. We recruited 15 healthy participants (8 cis-males, 7 cis-females), 9 of whom were voice-specialist speech-language pathologists. Optical Particle Sizers (OPS) (Model 3330, TSI) were used to measure the number concentration of respirable aerosol particles (0.3 µm-10 µm) generated during a selection of voice assessment/therapy tasks, both with and without mitigation measures in place. Measurements were performed in a laminar flow operating theatre, with near-zero background aerosol concentration, allowing us to quantify the number concentration of respiratory aerosol particles produced. Mitigation measures included the wearing of Type IIR fluid resistant surgical masks, wrapping the same masks around the end of straws, and the use of heat and moisture exchange microbiological filters (HMEFs) for a water resistance therapy (WRT) task. All unmitigated therapy tasks produced more aerosol than unmasked breathing or speaking. Mitigation strategies reduced detectable aerosol from all tasks to a level significantly below, or no different to, that of unmasked breathing. Pooled filtration efficiencies determined that Type IIR surgical masks reduced detectable aerosol by 90%. Surgical masks wrapped around straws reduced detectable aerosol by 96%. HMEF filters were 100% effective in mitigating the aerosol from WRT, the exercise that generated more aerosol than any other task in the unmitigated condition. Voice therapy and assessment causes the release of significant quantities of respirable aerosol. However, simple mitigation strategies can reduce emitted aerosol concentrations to levels comparable to unmasked breathing.

Clinical Experiences of Speech-Language Pathologists in the Rehabilitation of Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis

Unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) is a neurological voice disorder that is often first treated by a speech-language pathologist (SLP). In literature, little consensus is found regarding voice therapy onset, duration, frequency, and content. The aim of the current study is to investigate the clinical practice of SLPs for treatment of UVFP regarding diagnostics and treatment characteristics. Additionally, the study examined the personal experiences of SLPs regarding UVFP care. An online survey was completed by 37 respondents, all SLPs with experience in treating UVFP. Demographic characteristics, experiences with voice assessments and treatment modalities were examined. Lastly, experiences and opinions of SLPs on evidence-based practice and their own clinical practice were surveyed. Almost all respondents used a multidimensional voice assessment with findings from laryngovideostroboscopy to assess UVFP. Laryngeal electromyography is not yet integrated in regular clinical practices. The most commonly used vocal techniques were resonant voice exercises, laryngeal manipulation, semioccluded vocal tract exercises (SOVTEs), vocal hygiene, and Vocal Function Exercises, with SOVTEs most often considered effective. A total of 75% of the respondents feel confident treating UVFP, and 87.6% believe it is important to stay updated on evidence-based practice. Variation in therapy timing and dosage was observed, and 48.4% of SLPs usually started early voice therapy within 4 weeks after UVFP onset. Flemish SLPs generally feel confident treating UVFP patients and show interest in improving evidence-based practice. Initiatives to train clinicians further in UVFP care and encouraging SLPs to provide practice-based evidence will enhance the knowledge base for evidence-based practice in UFVP.