J Korean Soc Laryngol Phoniatr Logoped.
2021 Aug;32(2):75-80. 10.22469/jkslp.2021.32.2.75.
The Effect of Voice Therapy for the Treatment of Functional Aphonia: A Preliminary Study
- Affiliations
-
- 1Voice-Language Laboratory, Gachon University College of Medicine, Gil Medical Center, Incheon, Korea
- 2Department of Otohinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Gachon University College of Medicine, Gil Medical Center, Incheon, Korea
- KMID: 2519486
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.22469/jkslp.2021.32.2.75
Abstract
- Background and Objectives
Functional aphonia refers to in which by presenting whispering voice and almost producing very high-pitched tensed voices are produced. Voice therapy is the most effective treatment, but there is a lack of consensus for application of voice therapy. The purpose of this study was to examine the vocal characteristics of functional aphonia and the effect of voice therapy applied accordingly. Materials and Method From October 2019 to December 2020, 11 patients with functional aphonia were treated using voice therapy which was processing three stages such as vocal hygiene, trial therapy, and behavioral therapy. Of these, 7 patients who completed the voice evaluation before and after voice therapy was enrolled in this study. By retrospective chart review, clinical information such as sex, age, symptoms, duration, social and medical history, process of voice therapy, subjective and objective findings were analyzed. Voice parameters before and after voice therapy were compared.
Results
In GRBAS study, grade, rough, and asthenic, and in Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice, overall severity, roughness, pitch, and loudness were significantly improved after voice therapy. In Voice handicap index, all of the scores of total and sub-categories were significantly decreased. In objective voice analysis, jitter, cepstral peak prominence, and maximum phonation time were significantly improved.
Conclusion
The voice therapy was effective for the treatment of functional aphonia by restoring patient’s vocalization and improving voice quality, pitch and loudness.
