Voice Function Research Articles

Cervical Spine Disability in Correlation with Subjective Voice Handicap in Patients With Voice Disorders: A Retrospective Analysis

Neck muscle dysfunction has been considered as risk factor or consequence of voice disorders. This study investigates the correlation between neck and voice-related subjective symptoms in patients with voice disorders. Retrospective case-control study. 100 adult patients (59 female and 41 male) over 18 years with a mean age of 50.01 years (SD 16, range 24-87), of which 68 were under 60 years, were included. 50 patients had organic voice pathologies and 50 functional dysphonia. Outcome measures were the Voice Handicap Index 9 international (VHI-9i) and the Neck Disability Index (NDI-G). Spearman rank order coefficient was applied to determine the correlation between overall and single item VHI and NDI results. Subanalyses were done for functional vs. organic disorder, gender and age ± 60 years. Mean overall VHI-9i (13.93, SD = 7.81, range = 0-31) and mean NDI-G (6.07, SD = 7.71, range = 0-43) showed a significant mild correlation (rs = 0.220, P = 0.02). Split into subgroups the relation was stronger in patients with organic pathologies (rs = 0.297, P = 0.03), but not significant in functional disorders (r = 0.148, P = 0.30). There was a moderate relation in men (rs = 0.317, P = 0.04). Single item correlation was highest between VHI-9i item P4 (physiological) and NDI-G item reading (cognitive functioning) (rs = 0.480, P = 0.002). Specifically patients with organic voice disorders showed increased voice symptoms with the presence of neck dysfunction. This indicates a risk for a functional imbalance of the muscles surrounding the larynx, which in extreme cases may hinder functional voice rehabilitation even after phonosurgery. Therefore, neck dysfunction should be considered in voice diagnostics.

Incidence of Functional Nasal Voice in Patients With Patulous Eustachian Tube.

Some patients with a patulous Eustachian tube (PET) complain of a nasal voice. This feature is often dismissed without further investigation. As such, there are only a few reports on this important symptom and scant studies have been conducted on a sufficiently large number of cases with PET. Therefore, this study was undertaken to investigate the characteristics of patients having a nasal voice and to examine whether this symptom can be an indication of the severity of PET. Retrospective. Tertiary referral center. A retrospective survey of medical records in Sen-En Rifu Hospital identified 85 patients (40 men and 45 women) with PET between 2013 and 2016. Diagnosis of definite PET was based on the Proposal on Diagnostic Criteria of PET announced by the Otological Society of Japan (2017). The questionnaire inquired about the presence of a nasal voice and it was distributed to each patient at the first visit to the clinic. If a patient marked "yes" for the presence of nasal voice, he/she was later asked on the telephone to exclude nasal voice ascribable to causes other than PET, such as nasal diseases. Correlation between nasal voice and patient characteristics (age, sex, affected side, and PET symptoms such as autophony of own voice, aural fullness, and autophony of breathing sounds), subjective severity of PET evaluated by patulous Eustachian tube handicap inventory-10 (PHI-10), and that with the objective severity of PET evaluated by tubo-tympano-aerodynamic-graphy (TTAG) and sonotubometry were investigated. Seventy-six patients (36 men and 40 women) with definite PET were evaluated in this study. Thirteen patients (17.1%) (five men and eight women) reported a nasal voice coinciding with the occurrence of PET symptoms such as voice autophony, aural fullness, and breathing autophony. Age, sex, affected side, PET symptoms (autophony of their own voice, aural fullness, and autophony of their breathing sounds), and objective findings (TTAG and sonotubometry) were not significantly different between the two groups. The average total score of the PHI-10 in the "PET associated Nasal Voice Group" was 35.8 ± 4.5, which was statistically higher than that of the "non PET associated Nasal Voice Group" 23.6 ± 10.7 (p = 0.002). Out of 76 patients, 44 were treated surgically (Kobayashi Plug). In the "PET associated Nasal Voice Group," 85% (11 out of 13) were subjected to surgical treatment, whereas 52% (33 out of 63) underwent surgical treatment in the "non PET associated Nasal Voice Group." The rate of surgical treatment was significantly higher in "PET associated Nasal Voice Group" (p = 0.047). Nasal voice due to PET symptoms was observed in 17.1% of PET patients. It was generally found in patients with severe subjective symptoms. Nasal voice can be an indication of subjective severity. However, this study failed to show objective evidence of wider Eustachian tube in such cases. Patients with a nasal voice tended to seek vigorous treatment including surgery.

Carbon Dioxide Laser Microsurgery versus Low-Temperature Plasma Radiofrequency Ablation for T1a Glottic Cancer: A Single-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background Very few studies have been conducted to compare carbon dioxide laser microsurgery (CO2-LS) with low-temperature plasma radiofrequency ablation (LTP-RFA) in treating T1a glottic cancer. Therefore, we conducted this study to compare the efficacy of CO2-LS and LTP-RFA to define a superior therapeutic modality for T1a glottic cancer. Methods Patients (n=131) with T1a glottic cancer were recruited between January 2010 and September 2014. The included patients were randomly assigned to either receive CO2-LS (n=65) or LTP-RFA (n=66). We conducted the following multidimensional vocal assessments: (i) videostroboscopic evaluation; (ii) auditory-perceptual evaluation; (iii) aerodynamics/ efficiency; (iv) acoustics; and (v) self-assessment questionnaires. Meanwhile, the surgery time and three-year overall survival rates in two groups were recorded. The predefined primary endpoint was overall survival, and the minimum follow-up time was set to six months. Results After treatment, we found that the structure and vibration of vocal cord might recover more quickly in patients receiving LTP-RFA than in patients receiving CO2-LS, and moreover, the patients in the LTP-RFA group had the better vocal functions. Meanwhile, the surgery time was significantly less in the LTP-RFA group (8.83±1.59 minutes) than in the CO2-LS group (12.49±1.40 minutes) (p<0.00001). In addition, the two intervention methods had the similar three-year overall survival rates (94% versus 96%, p=0.58). Conclusion These results indicated that both LTP-RFA and CO2-LS could effectively treat T1a glottic cancer, and LTP-RFA might have some advantages in voice function. Limited by the relatively small sample size, future studies were needed to validate our conclusion.

ВИКОРИСТАННЯ ІНФОРМАЦІЙНО-КОМУНІКАЦІЙНИХ ТЕХНОЛОГІЙ ДЛЯ ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ДОСТУПНОСТІ І РОЗВИТКУ ІНКЛЮЗИВНОЇ ОСВІТИ

Information and communication technologies as support for the inclusive education are one of the effective tools for the development, education and training of students with special educational needs. The article deals with assistive hardware and software tools that compensate some of the natural functions of the child’s body. The possibilities of modern Microsoft, Google, Facebook and Youtube platforms have been described that make it possible to improve the fulfilment of educational tasks via the settings of keyboard shortcuts, virtual keyboard, word prediction functions, sound signals or screen indicators. The article also highlights the potential of messengers, social networks and e-mails as the most modern and adapted communicators for addressing teaching and educational needs of schoolchildren. The Viber and Facebook instant messaging programs have also been described and were found to be the most widespread means of communication in Ukraine having functions of voice and video calls with the interface adapted to maximize screen readability, allowing to create constructive dialogue between teachers, parents or schoolchildren with special educational needs. The use of ICT in inclusive education for didactic purposes have been presented practically by the LearningApps.org service. Examples of setting objectives for children with mild and moderate mental retardation have been presented, in particular: for pupils who suffer from autistic disorders, for schoolchildren who have problems with auditory or visual perception of information. Providing education through the suggested resource allows to carry out remedial work with children with special educational needs that intensifies their perception and attention, improves their memory and stimulates their motivation for educational activities. Introduction of information and communication technologies encompassing their three aspects - compensatory, communication and didactic purposes - makes it possible to adjust educational programmes and contribute effectively to the development of pupils according to their individuality.

Voice Therapy Outcome—A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Individual Voice Therapy, Therapy in Group, and Controls Without Therapy

ObjectiveA stumbling-block in voice therapy is how the patient will be able to apply the new voice technique in everyday life. Possibly this generalization process could be facilitated by giving voice therapy in group because of the natural forum for training voice-to-speech early in communication between the patients in a group setting. The aim of the study was to compare treatment results from individual voice therapy and voice therapy in group, at several time points and in comparison to patients with no voice therapy. MethodsA randomized treatment study was performed with 77 consecutive patients diagnosed with a functional voice disorder. Thirty-one patients were randomized to individual and group therapy, respectively, and 15 patients to no therapy. The assessments included standardized voice recording and registration of voice range profile (VRP), answering Voice handicap index (VHI) and visual analogue scales for self-hoarseness and self-vocal fatigue, and perceptual voice evaluation by speech-language pathologist. The assessments were performed before, direct after therapy, and three months later in all groups. The 2 therapy groups were also assessed 12 months after therapy. ResultsAll VHI scores as well as the self-ratings of hoarseness and vocal fatigue, and the perceptual evaluation of voice quality and maximum VRP improved significantly in both therapy groups 3 months after treatment and at 12 months follow-up. There were no significant changes in the control group, with the exception of decreased self-rated hoarseness and increased maximum VRP. Comparisons between treatment groups showed significant larger improvement after group therapy for VHI physical subscale at 12 months, as well as significant lower VHI total score at all measurement sessions and lower subscale scores at 12 months. There were no differences between treatment groups in self-hoarseness or self-vocal fatigue and no difference in perceptual voice quality or VRP. Comparison between controls and treatment groups showed significant larger change in treatment groups from baseline to three months in VHI total and to end of therapy in functional subscale. Treatment groups also showed significant lower scores than controls at each measurement session, for VHI total and physical subscale as well as lower degree of perceptual aberration of voice quality and vocal fatigue, at three months follow-up. ConclusionsThis study shows long-term improvement from behavioral voice therapy, particularly in a group setting. The results indicate the importance of early transfer-to-speech and late posttherapy test to capture whether the goal of voice therapy was fulfilled or not for the patients.

Smart remote-controller designed with combining speech-recognition microprocessor and wireless sensor networks

The objective of this study was to design a smart remote-controller combining with speech-recognition and self-learning function Module and blue-tooth wireless sensor network to become part of the intelligent system to control all home appliances in the smart living space. The system was constructed with two parts: (1) a remote control mechanism with Bluetooth (BT) module mounting on controller module (remote controller) and slave receiver module (on every home appliance), and (2) a remote controller with speech-recognition and function of self-learning human voice with speech-recognition microprocessor so that people could directly give voice commands to control appliances. Therefore, the technique of BT communication and speech-recognition microprocessor became the most important in this study. After implementing finished projects, the whole system was proved to be highly successful.

Long-term functional voice outcomes after thyroidectomy, and effect of endotracheal intubation on voice.

The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term functional voice outcomes after thyroidectomy, and the effect of endotracheal intubation on post-operative voice impairment. We prospectively analyzed the voice outcomes of 155 serial thyroidectomy patients for up to 2years. The control group consisted of 69 patients who underwent parotidectomy. Patients with post-operative recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy or palsy of the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve were excluded. Self-assessment voice symptom scores (VSS) by questionnaire, and objective acoustic parameters and maximum phonation times, were evaluated pre-operatively and 1day, 3days, 1week, 1month, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24months after surgery. VSS increased from day 1 after surgery in both groups, and returned to pre-operative levels by 24months in the thyroidectomy group and after 1week post-operatively in the parotidectomy (control) group. The post-operative VSS of the thyroidectomy group was significantly higher than that of the control group up to 12months post-operatively. Highest frequency decreased immediately after surgery in the thyroidectomy group, and recovered to pre-operative levels by 12 and 18months in females and males, respectively, whereas it recovered to pre-operative levels after the first week in the control group. Impairment of voice function may persist for more than 18months after thyroidectomy even in patients without RLN palsy. Endotracheal intubation can affect voice outcomes adversely for 1 week post-operatively.

Effectiveness of short message services and voice call interventions for antiretroviral therapy adherence and other outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BackgroundThe potential of using mobile phone technologies to improve antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence has provided a new facet to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) research. The quality of evidence and the strength of recommendations of existing reviews, however, do not adequately support large-scale adoption of the intervention. This review adopted broad selection criteria to include all mobile phone-based interventions designed to improve patient’s adherence to ART.MethodsWe performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies. PUBMED, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), CINAHL, AMED and Web of Science were searched. Online abstracts archives of relevant conference proceedings and trial registries were also searched. Thirty-Five (35) full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. Included studies were conducted in high, low and middle-income countries and reported ART adherence interventions delivered by mobile phones (standard or smartphones) in the form of voice calls, interactive voice response calls (IVR), and short message service (SMS).ResultsThirteen (13) studies met the inclusion criteria, and 11 were used in the meta-analysis. Intervention characteristics of included studies ranged from mobile phone functionalities to provision of study phones to participants. SMS and voice call contents were tailored to participants’ specific adherence needs. Mobile SMS interventions improved adherence to ART compared with control conditions (OR, 95% CI = 1.59, 1.27–1.98). In subgroup analysis, only scheduled SMS was significant whereas triggered SMS had no effect on adherence to ART. Mobile voice calls did not significantly increase adherence to ART. The interventions were highly rated by > 90% of participants in the studies that reported on the experiences and satisfaction with the intervention.ConclusionScheduled mobile phone text-messaging have demonstrated significant improvement in adherence to ART. Mobile SMS adherence interventions that allow for two-way communication may, however, be more acceptable than standalone SMS reminders, which are seen to be intrusive, producing habituation and response fatigue. Voice calls and triggered SMS functionalities do not have a significant effect on adherence to ART although there is a higher preference for voice functionality over SMS especially in limited-resource and low-literacy settings. Further exploration of the mobile voice functionality and its possible combination with scheduled SMS functionality is recommended. Evidence provided in this study will guide the implementation of mobile phone intervention to improve adherence to ART, by addressing practical challenges that could militate against scalability especially in resource limited settings.

Work-related communicative profile of radio broadcasters: a case study

Purpose: To explore the short-term effect of work-related voice use on voice function, and noise exposure on hearing function among radio broadcasters.Method: A 1-week follow-up study with the participation of two radio broadcasters was conducted. Participants were monitored at the beginning and at the end of the working week. Premonitoring assessment on Monday (baseline measure) and postmonitoring assessment on Friday (follow-up measure) were performed to identify short-term effects of work-related conditions on voice and hearing function among radio broadcasters.Result: Changes in fundamental frequency postmonitoring at the end of the work week may be an indication of work-related vocal fatigue. Changes in the distribution and standard deviation of SPL during the monitoring from Monday to Friday may indicate control of the vocal loudness as a strategy to reduce vocal effort during broadcasting. During a 1-week follow-up, noise conditions during radio broadcasting were below occupational exposure limits and without noticeable consequences on hearing function.Conclusion: The work-related communicative profile of radio broadcasting, from this pilot study, suggests that although vocal demands in terms of vocal load may differ among broadcasters, the work-related conditions of broadcasting may play a role on vocal function among these occupational voice users. Concerning hearing function, our results indicate that occupational noise exposure represented minimal risk for hearing problems but the consequences of long-term noise exposure on hearing mechanisms may yet occur. Future studies with bigger sample sizes are warranted to confirm our results.

Violence and Voice in Wopko Jensma’s Poetry

ABSTRACTThe imagery of violence, specifically to the face and head, is a recurring motif in Wopko Jensma's poetry. In this article I present a discussion of the poems in which he makes extensive use of such brutal imagery. I describe the development of his use of violence, from its figuration of an ambivalent political symbol to its signification of subjective fragmentation or loss. In doing so I focus on the function of grammatical voice, with its inherent demarcation of agency and subjectivity, as well as its relationship to the less specific meanings of voice in a literary context, in the poems. I argue for a structural connection between textual violence, the power dynamics coded into a text regarding grammatical voice, and its manifestation in the form of a poem's assumed or implied speaker.

Self-perception of quality of life in patients with functional voice disorders: the effects of psychological and vocal acoustic variables.

Functional voice disorders (FVD) are multifactorial and may have a significant impact on the patients' quality of life (QOL). The aim of this study was to explore and analyze the relationship between the VHI scores, psychological variables, and objective voice measurements, and to develop a psychological and/or vocal acoustic model for the overall self-perceived evaluation of quality of life for three different types of FVD. After ENT examination, 83 women were classified into three groups: psychogenic voice disorder (PVD = 39), primary muscle tension voice disorder (MTVD1 = 16), and secondary muscle tension voice disorder (MTVD2 = 28). All patients were evaluated according to a multidisciplinary assessment protocol, which included the self-evaluation of quality of life (Voice Handicap Index, VHI), psychological evaluation (Hamilton Rating Scales for Depression(HAM-D) and for Anxiety(HARS), and Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego-Auto questionnaire(TEMPS-A)), and vocal acoustic analysis [mean fundamental frequency (F0, Hz), jitter (local, %), shimmer (local, %), andharmonic-to-noise ratio (HNR, dB)]. Our findings revealed a moderate impact on QOL, regardless of the type of FVD. There were significant correlations between VHI scores, psychological variables, and voice perturbation parameters, with the exception of the MTVD1 and MTVD2 groups. The stepwise multiple linear regression analysis suggested that QOL could be explained by: anxious temperament together with shimmer in PVD group, jitter in the MTVD1 group, and depressive temperament in the MTVD2 group. Affective temperaments and/or voice perturbation parameters were meaningful predictors of self-evaluation of quality of life in patients with different types of FVD.

Voice Disorders and Voice Knowledge in Choir Singers

Singers have reported higher prevalence of vocally harmful behaviors, vocal symptoms, and voice disorders than nonsingers have. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of voice disorders among choir singers and to discover the risk factors associated with voice disorders. Another purpose was to explore the choir singers' knowledge about the anatomy and physiology of the voice, and voice ergonomics. Three hundred and fifteen adult choir singers, 65% women, and 35% men, completed a web-questionnaire. The questionnaire included demographic questions and questions about vocal symptoms, risk factors for voice disorders, and voice knowledge. Twenty one percent of the participants experienced two or more frequently occurring vocal symptoms, which was defined as having a functional voice disorder. Choir singers with a vocally demanding profession were almost twice as likely to report several frequently occurring vocal symptoms. Health-related risk factors, such as inhalant allergy and asthma, had a significant relation with the number of vocal symptoms. The overall voice knowledge among the choir singers seemed limited. The prevalence of voice disorders among choir singers seems to be similar to the prevalence rate among professional voice users. Choir singers with a vocally demanding profession are at a higher risk of developing a functional voice disorder. The results of this study raise the importance of educating choir singers about the voice, in order to prevent development of voice disorders.

Patient perceptions of living with head and neck lymphoedema and the impacts to swallowing, voice and speech function

Head and neck lymphoedema (HNL) is common following head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment, and may contribute to numerous physical, functional and psychological symptoms. However, its impact on swallowing, voice and speech is less well understood. The aim of this study was to use interpretive description to explore patient perceptions relating to the impact of HNL on swallowing, voice and speech. Twelve participants, >3months post HNC treatment and experiencing some form of HNL, participated in individual, semi-structured interviews. Transcribed interviews underwent thematic analysis using an inductive approach, with subsequent member checking. Most participants felt their HNL impacted their swallowing and some had impacts on speech; although the impact on voice was less clear. Four themes emerged, including three themes relating to HNL and its impact on swallowing and speech: "it feels tight;" "it changes throughout the day;" "it requires daily self-monitoring and management;" and a fourth general theme "it affects me in other ways." Participants perceived direct impacts from HNL to swallowing and speech. They often experienced daily symptom fluctuations that required additional strategies during times of increased difficulty. Findings highlight the need to improve patient education regarding the functional impacts of HNL and the importance of self-management.

The need for additional care in patients with classical galactosaemia

Purpose: Classical galactosaemia is an inborn error of galactose metabolism which may lead to impairments in body functions and accordingly, need for additional care. The primary aim of this study was to establish the type and intensity of this additional care.Materials and methods: Patients with classical galactosaemia aged ≥2 years were evaluated with the Capacity Profile, a standardised method to classify additional care needs according to type and intensity. Based on a semi-structured interview, current impairments in five domains of body functions were determined. The intensity of additional care was assessed (from 0, usual care, to 5, total dependence).Results: Forty-four patients with classical galactosaemia, 18 males and 26 females (median age 15 years, range 2–49 years), were included. There was a wide spectrum of impairments in mental functions. Motor function impairments were present in four patients, and mild speech impairments in eight patients. Additional care for sensory functions was uncommon. All patients needed a diet, which care is scored in the physical health domain.Conclusions: Apart from the diet all patients need, classical galactosaemia leads to the need for additional care mainly in the domains of mental functions and speech and voice functions.Implications for rehabilitationThe Capacity Profile is a useful tool to demonstrate additional care needs in classical galactosaemia.In classical galactosaemia additional care is mostly indicated by mental impairments and speech and voice functions.One-fifth of patients have impairment of speech and voice functions at time of the study, and half of all patients had received speech therapy in childhood.Over 70% of patients need additional care/help due to impairment of mental functions, ranging from coaching due to social vulnerability to full day care.

A Comparison of Voice Activity and Participation Profiles Among Etiological Groups

The purpose of this study was to determine whether patients with functional voice disorders show voice activity and participation profiles different from those of the organic and neurogenic groups. The Korean Version of the Voice Activity and Participation Profile (K-VAPP) was administered to 200 participants (150 patients with functional, organic, and neurogenic voice disorders, 50 for each etiological group, 50 controls without vocal complaint). The K-VAPP subscale scores of the etiological groups were compared, controlling for age, professional use of voice, and severity of voice disorder measured by overall severity of the Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-V). Results of a one-way analysis of variance indicated significant differences in the overall severity across groups (neurogenic > functional = organic > control). Among four groups, the organic group showed higher mean Z-scores of the K-VAPP than the control group, and the functional group showed higher mean Z-scores of the K-VAPP than the organic group. Compared with the neurogenic group, the functional group showed lower mean Z-scores for total score, Activity Limitation Score, SUB3, and SUB5. A comparison among three etiological groups showed that the functional group did not show higher scores than the organic group. On the contrary, the functional group showed a lower total score, Participation Restriction Score, and score for subsection 3 (effect on daily communication) than the neurogenic group. Psychometric assessment of voice disorders using the K-VAPP could provide clinicians with baseline information that is applicable to various voice disorders. Further studies pertaining to the follow-up of voice disorders with various etiologies are needed to extend its clinical usefulness.

Voice Quality and Orofacial Strength as Outcome of Levodopa Effectiveness in Patients with Early Idiopathic Parkinson Disease: A Preliminary Report

Sixty to 90% of patients with idiopathic Parkinson disease (IPD) developed early dysphonia and subtle speech impairment, which is usually related to orofacial muscular dysfunctions. The aim of this preliminary study is to assess the usefulness of voice quality and orofacial strength (involved in speech) as outcome of levodopa challenge test used for the IPD diagnosis. A total of 20 patients with early IPD were recruited and evaluated for clinical findings (Hoehn and Yahr scale), voice handicap index, maximal phonation time, phonation quotient, percent jitter, percent shimmer, noise-to-harmonic ratio, and orofacial muscular strength (Iowa Oral Performance Instrument) at baseline, throughout the levodopa challenge test and after therapeutic stabilization. The intake of a standardized dose of levodopa (levodopa challenge test) significantly improved phonation quotient and percent shimmer. We did not find similar improvement after medical stabilization of patients (based on levodopa medication) despite an improvement of Hoehn and Yahr mean score. The intake of levodopa significantly improved cheeks and lips strength involved in speech quality both along the challenge test and after the therapeutic stabilization. These preliminary findings support a differential impact of levodopa on voice and speech functions in early diagnosed IPD and a mismatch between the clinical examination, orofacial strength, and voice quality improvements once the patient is medically stabilized.

Assessment of short-term functional voice therapy in patients with unilateral paralysis of the larynx.

Introduction Laryngeal paralysis deteriorates all laryngeal functions. Therefore the therapeutic process must include restoration of respiratory, defensive and vocal function. Selection of a proper rehabilitation path plays a key role. Appropriate research protocol that includes objective methods of voice evaluation is an important element of monitoring the return of vocal efficiency. Voice efficiency is important for the patient particularly due to psychological and social reasons. Aim The aim of the study was the assessment of short-term functional voice therapy (FVT) in patients with unilateral paralysis of the larynx with the usage of objective parameters describing the glottis and voice quality. Material and Method During the last 10 years 355 patients with laryngeal paralysis were hospitalized in the Audiology and Phoniatrics Clinic due to dysphonia. All patients undergone 5-day FVT. From 2015 we unified diagnostic protocol measuring parameters obtained from videostrobokymography (VSK), electroglottography (EGG), perceptual and acoustic voice analysis before and after 5 day hospitalization. Results After FVT patients improved voice quality and glottal compensation. The majority of patients achieved a statistically significant improvement in the VSK, EGG, MDVP and perceptual analysis. Group of patients with unsatisfactory voice improvement after therapy required a prolonged rehabilitation or has been qualified for laryngeal microsurgery. Potential factors that could have cause insufficient effects of FVT were analysed. Conclusions The complexity of voice rehabilitation is crucial for the success of therapy. Interdisciplinary therapeutic team plays a significant role during voice rehabilitation in patients with vocal fold paralysis.

Функції пасивних конструкцій в українській та німецькій мовах

The article deals with passive constructions in Ukrainian and German languages, their manifestation in formal syntactic and semantic structures of a sentence, researches approaches to determining the place and functions of the passive voice in texts; provides contrastive analysis of clausal topic assignment, impersonalization and detransitivation in passive constructions of various types as exemplifi ed by the material of modern fi ction. The article also describes and illustrates reasons behind an agent defocusing, proves that agent reduction and detransitivation are common features for both languages. Although clausal topic assignment is considered to be the most important function of passive voice in German, its role in Ukrainian is rather dull in comparison, which is in part caused by diff erent syntactic organization of languages under research.

Functional Speech and Voice Disorders: Case Series and Literature Review.

Functional disorders of speech and voice, subtypes of functional movement disorders, represent abnormalities in speech and voice that are thought to have an underlying psychological cause. These disorders exhibit several positive and negative features that distinguish them from organic disorders. We describe the clinical manifestations of functional disorders of speech and voice, and illustrate these features using six clinical cases. Functional disorders of speech and voice may manifest in a variety of ways, including dysphonia, stuttering, or prosodic abnormalities. Given that these disorders have been understudied and may resemble organic disorders, diagnosis may be challenging. Appropriate treatment may be quite effective, highlighting the importance of prompt and accurate diagnosis.

Perceptual Encoding of Natural Speech Sounds Revealed by the N1 Event-Related Potential Response

ABSTRACTRecent work has demonstrated that the auditory N1 event-related potential (ERP) component tracks continuous changes in voice onset time (an acoustic cue distinguishing word-initial voicing categories), suggesting that this ERP response can index early perceptual representations. The present study aims to determine whether the N1 can serve as a more general index of cue encoding, providing a tool for measuring listeners’ perception of fine-grained acoustic differences in speech. We examined ERP responses to a wide range of phonetic contrasts, focusing particularly on voicing and place of articulation distinctions for different classes of speech sounds. Listeners were presented with natural speech spanning 18 consonants in English, and identified the consonant they heard while electroencephalograph (EEG) was recorded. Results show differences in N1 amplitude as a function of voicing and place for both fricatives and stop consonants, replicating and extending previous findings. The pattern of results also suggests that some distinctions reflect perceptual encoding based on acoustic cue dimensions rather than articulatory dimensions. Overall, these results demonstrate that the N1 can serve as a general index of perceptual encoding at early stages of auditory perception across a range of phonetic contrasts in speech.