OBJECTIVES: To determine the value of laryngeal electromyography in predicting recovery after vocal fold paralysis and to determine what elements of laryngeal electromyography are most predictive of outcome.

DESIGN: Cohort study with retrospective data review.

SETTING: University voice center.

PARTICIPANTS: Consecutive sample of 31 patients with vocal fold paralysis diagnosed by indirect laryngoscopy, using either nasal insertion with a flexible nasopharyngoscope or peroral with a 70 ...

The study's objectives were to investigate (1) the frequency of perceived stress, anxiety, and depression for patients with common voice disorders, (2) the distribution of these variables by diagnosis, and (3) the distribution of the variables by gender. Retrospective data were derived from self-report questionnaires assessing recent stress (Perceived Stress Scale-10), anxiety, and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) in a cohort of new patients presenting to a voice ...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To identify contemporary indications, treatment principles, technique, injection materials, complications, and success rates of vocal fold injection augmentation.

STUDY DESIGN: Multi-institutional retrospective review.

METHODS: Records of patients undergoing injection augmentation at seven university medical centers from July 2007 through June 2008 were reviewed for information regarding diagnosis, unilateral or bilateral injection, route of injection, anesthesia, ...

Myosin description in human laryngeal muscles is incomplete, but evidence suggests the presence of type I, IIA, IIX, and tonic myosin heavy chain (MHC) fibers. This study describes the unloaded shortening velocity (V0) of chemically skinned laryngeal muscle fibers measured by the slack test method in relation to MHC content. Skeletal fibers from human laryngeal and limb muscle biopsy specimens were obtained for determination of V0, and subsequently, glycerol-sodium dodecyl ...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: The objective was to develop an abbreviated voice handicap assessment instrument and compare it with the Voice Handicap Index (VHI).

STUDY DESIGN: Item analysis of the VHI in individuals without voice disorders and patients with voice disorders and creation and validation of the abbreviated VHI.

METHODS: Clinical consensus review of the VHI items was held to prioritize the clinical value of each of the VHI items (30 items in all). Item analysis of the VHI was ...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Synkinesis, or misdirected reinnervation, is likely a confounder when predicting return of function of an immobile vocal fold. Currently, no information exists on the incidence of synkinesis in unilateral vocal fold immobility (UVFI) or the effect synkinesis has on prognosis and treatment. Our objective was to examine a vocal fold adductor synkinesis screening protocol using diagnostic laryngeal electromyography (LEMG). We aim to determine the effect of synkinesis ...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To develop and validate a cough severity index (CSI) which quantifies patients' symptoms associated with upper airway chronic cough and to provide a tool for treatment outcome measures.

METHODS: Two hundred patients who had a complaint of chronic cough and/or dyspnea were given a 49- item questionnaire developed through a clinical consensus of the most common symptoms of chronic cough of upper airway origin. The instrument was reduced to 10 questions using ...

BACKGROUND: Injection laryngoplasty (IL) continues to evolve as new indications, techniques, approaches, and injection materials are developed. Although historically performed under local or general anesthesia in the operating room suite, IL is now increasingly being performed in an office-based setting. This report presents the results of a reimbursement analysis comparing office-based versus operative IL.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare the reimbursement of ...

OBJECTIVES: Quantitative laryngeal electromyography (LEMG) using turns analysis can differentiate acute vocal fold paralysis from normal controls. The objective of this study is to determine if using both traditional qualitative LEMG measurements in addition to turns analysis improves prognostic accuracy in patients with acute vocal fold paralysis who demonstrate voluntary motor activity.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review of LEMG data (qualitative and quantitative) and charts of ...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To develop a shortened version of the validated health status instrument for singers, the Singing Voice Handicap Index (SVHI).

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective item analysis of the SVHI in patients with singing voice problems and creation and validation of an abbreviated SVHI, the SVHI-10.

METHODS: Patients presenting to two tertiary care voice clinics prospectively completed the SVHI. Principal component analysis was performed. Individual item to total correlations were ...

Voice therapy changes how people use and care for their voices. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have a multitude of choices from which to modify patient's vocal behaviors. Six SLPs performed 1461 voice therapy sessions and quantified the percentage of time spent in eight component parts of indirect and four component parts of direct voice therapy across five common voice disorders. Voice therapy data collection forms were prospectively completed immediately following each therapy ...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) primed fibroblasts and decorin application on skin and vocal fold fibroblasts in vitro and in vivo in rabbit vocal fold scar model.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Vocal fold and skin fibroblasts underwent five in vitro treatment conditions: control, epidermal growth factor, HGF, both decorin and HGF, and decorin alone. Hyaluronic acid and collagen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were performed. In vivo, 12 rabbits underwent ...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Studies have shown excellent results for 12-month post-injection augmentation data for calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) for glottal incompetence; however, the longevity of the material past one year was unknown. Our objective was to report the long-term effectiveness of CaHA as a vocal fold injectable by assessing data from a cohort of patients who underwent injection for glottal insufficiency.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review.

METHODS: Patients who underwent ...

BackgroundLaryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) can cause atypical symptoms, asthma, and pulmonary fibrosis. The aim of this study was to establish the normative data for LPR using hypopharyngeal multichannel intraluminal impedance-pH (HMII).MethodsAsymptomatic subjects underwent endoscopy followed by 24-h HMII using a specialized impedance catheter configured to detect LPR before and after a 2-week course of proton pump inhibitors (PPI). Subjects were excluded if they had esophageal pathology ...

OBJECTIVE: To correlate change in Voice Handicap Index (VHI)-10 scores with corresponding voice laboratory measures across five voice disorders.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study.

METHODS: One hundred fifty patients aged >18 years with primary diagnosis of vocal fold lesions, primary muscle tension dysphonia-1, atrophy, unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP), and scar. For each group, participants with the largest change in VHI-10 between two periods (TA and TB) were selected. The dates ...