Efficacy of voice laboratory in evaluation of treatment in Dysphonic patients

Introduction: Evaluations of voice disorders include clinical assessment (subjective) and Voice Laboratory Measurements (VLM) which use objective criteria to evaluate the severity of voice disorders. The purpose of this ۲ years prospective team work study (during ۲۰۰۴ – ۲۰۰۶) was to determine the efficacy of voice laboratory analysis in evaluation of treatment in dysphonic patients, in comparison with clinical (subjective) evaluation. Materials and Methods: This study was done on ۵۰ patients (۴۲ males and ۸ females) with voice disorders. All of the patients underwent complete ENT and neurological examinations and also complete voice lab evaluation with Visi pitch instrument and computer speech lab (CSL), both before and after appropriate treatment. Then the results of objective and subjective evaluations compared statically with the last version of SPSS software. We performed at least ۵ voice parameters including fundamental frequency, phonation quotient, pitch range, percentage voiced and perturbation. Results: Only ۸ patients (۱۶%) had statistically significant improvement in data base of voice lab parameters and the rest patients (۸۴%) although showed some improvement but without statistically significance. Overall, the sensitivity of voice lab was ۸۰%. Some degree of changes was observed in all of the parameters before and after treatment. In the case of perturbation (t = ۳.۵۳ and P<۰.۰۱) and jitter (t = ۲.۴۳ and P<۰.۰۵) there was significant differences with good statistical correlations.

Keywords:

Voice disorders , Dysphonia , Voice laboratory , Visipitch instrument , Computer speech lab