Effects of Instructed Laryngeal Manipulation on Vocal Rise Time.

Objectives: Previous research has shown that instructed manipulation of the false vocal fold activity (FVFA), true vocal fold mass (TVFM), and larynx height (LH) impacted on voice quality. It is not known whether these manipulations have any effect on voice onset. Vocal Rise Time (VRT) is an objective acoustic measure of voice onset, which has potential as an assessment tool in clinical settings.

Investigating current clinical practice in assessment and diagnosis of voice disorders: A cross-sectional multidisciplinary global web survey.

Background: Published best-practice guidelines and standardized protocols for voice assessment recommend multidisciplinary evaluation utilizing a comprehensive range of clinical measures. Previous studies report variations in assessment practices when compared with these guidelines.

Aims: To provide an up-to-date evaluation of current global multidisciplinary practice patterns and the opinions of otolaryngologist, ear, nose and throat (ENT) and speech-language pathology (SLP) clinicians on initial assessment and differential diagnosis of adults with voice disorders (VDs).

Voice disorder discrimination using vowel acoustic measures in female speakers.

Background: Sustained vowels are important vocal tasks that have been investigated in discriminating voice disorders using acoustic analysis. To date, no study has combined vowel acoustic measures only that evaluate major aspects of the pathological voice signals in voice disorder discrimination.

Aims: To investigate the value of vowel acoustic measures that quantify glottal noise, signal stability, signal periodicity, spectral slope and overall voice quality in discriminating female speakers with and without voice disorders.

Vowel onset measures and their reliability, sensitivity and specificity: A systematic literature review.

Objective: To systematically evaluate the evidence for the reliability, sensitivity and specificity of existing measures of vowel-initial voice onset.

Methods: A literature search was conducted across electronic databases for published studies (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, PubMed Central, IEEE Xplore) and grey literature (ProQuest for unpublished dissertations) measuring vowel onset. Eligibility criteria included research of any study design type or context focused on measuring human voice onset on an initial vowel.

Voice disorder recognition using machine learning: a scoping review protocol.

Introduction: Over the past decade, several machine learning (ML) algorithms have been investigated to assess their efficacy in detecting voice disorders. Literature indicates that ML algorithms can detect voice disorders with high accuracy. This suggests that ML has the potential to assist clinicians in the analysis and treatment outcome evaluation of voice disorders.

Vocal tasks for acoustic and/or auditory perceptual analysis for discriminating individuals with and without voice disorders: a systematic review protocol.

Objective: The primary objective of the present systematic review is to: (1) identify the current vocal tasks being used for acoustic and/or auditory perceptual analysis to differentiate between individuals with and without voice disorders. The secondary objectives are to: (2) evaluate the evidence of the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of those vocal tasks for acoustic and/or auditory perceptual analysis in discriminating the individuals with voice disorders from those without; and (3) compare the values between the vocal tasks in discriminating individuals with voice disorders from those without.

Method And Analysis: We search the following electronic databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, PubMed Central and Google Scholar.

Auditory-perceptual Parameters as Predictors of Voice Acoustic Measures.

Background: Much research has examined the relationship between perceptual and acoustic measures. However, little is known about the prediction values of perceptual measures on an acoustic parameter.

Aims: This study utilized simulated and disordered voice samples to investigate the prediction values of breathiness, roughness, and strain ratings on the selection of some time-based and spectral-based measures of voice quality.

BIDAR: Can Listeners Detect if a Man Is Bisexual from His Voice Alone?

Previous research has identified a range of perceptual voice and speech features that differ between gay and straight men, enabling listeners to determine if a man is gay or straight at a rate better than chance from his voice alone. To date, no published studies have examined if bisexual men's voices differ from gay and straight men's voices with regard to perceived masculinity-femininity - nor whether listeners can identify a bisexual man based only on his voice. In the present study, we examined if listeners could identify bisexual men's sexual identities from voice recordings.

Listening to Video Game Voices: A Call for Action for Research into the Vocal Health of Video Game Voice Actors.

Video game voice actors (VGVAs) are a professional voice user (PVU) population whose occupation relies on their ability to reliably deliver extremes in vocal performance. In their work VGVAs are required to perform solo for extended durations, producing highly complex character performances that not only include extremes of vocal parameters and qualities but also highly demanding vocal acts (ie, screaming, singing) within those voice archetypes. Based on the vocal demands of their work and current understandings of occupational voice disorder, it is reasonable to consider that VGVAs may be at increased risk of vocal fatigue, injury, and disorder, as manifestations of occupational disease.

Do the Nonlinear Dynamic Acoustic Measurements, Nonlinear Energy Difference Ratio and Spectrum Convergence Ratio, Correlate with Perceptual Evaluation of Esophageal Voice Speakers?

Background: The acoustic assessment of phonation after total laryngectomy is challenged by signal aperiodicity which makes frequency-based acoustic measures less reliable. This is important for patients who use esophageal voice since voice samples mostly include type III (highly aperiodic) and 4 (chaotic) signals. As such, using non-linear measures, which are better suited for aperiodic phonation, may be useful to investigate the relationship between acoustic signal characteristics and perception of esophageal voice quality.

Similarities and differences across patient completed voice case history questionnaires - A scoping review.

Background: Case history assessments are ubiquitously performed across various health professions for diagnostic purposes. Questionnaires are considered a valuable tool within this process. There is currently no standardized tool available to collect such information in the assessment of voice disorders.

Frameworks, Terminology and Definitions Used for the Classification of Voice Disorders: A Scoping Review.

Background: A challenge for clinicians and researchers in laryngology is a lack of international consensus for an agreed framework to classify homogenous groups of voice disorders. Consistency in terminology and agreement in how conditions are classified will provide greater clarity for clinicians and researchers.

Objective: This scoping review aimed to examine the published literature on frameworks, terminology, and criteria for the classification of voice disorders.

The Relationship Between Pitch Discrimination and Acoustic Voice Measures in a Cohort of Female Speakers.

Background: Evidence across a range of musically trained, hearing disordered and voice disordered populations present conflicting results regarding the relationship between pitch discrimination (PD) and voice quality. PD characteristics of female speakers with and without a musical training background and no self-reported voice disorder, and the relationship between PD and voice quality in this particular population, have not been investigated.

Aims: To evaluate PD characteristics in a cohort of female participants without a self-reported voice disorder and the relationship between PD and acoustic voice measures.

Acoustic characteristics of fricatives, amplitude of formants and clarity of speech produced without and with a medical mask.

Background: Previous research has found that high-frequency energy of speech signals decreased while wearing face masks. However, no study has examined the specific spectral characteristics of fricative consonants and vowels and the perception of clarity of speech in mask wearing.

Aims: To investigate acoustic-phonetic characteristics of fricative consonants and vowels and auditory perceptual rating of clarity of speech produced with and without wearing a face mask.

Pitch Discrimination Testing in Patients with a Voice Disorder.

Auditory perception plays an important role in voice control. Pitch discrimination (PD) is a key index of auditory perception and is influenced by a variety of factors. Little is known about the potential effects of voice disorders on PD and whether PD testing can differentiate people with and without a voice disorder.

Telehealth voice assessment by speech language pathologists during a global pandemic using principles of a primary contact model: an observational cohort study protocol.

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2, a highly contagious severe acute respiratory syndrome, has spread to most countries in the world and resulted in a change to practice patterns for the assessment and diagnosis of people with voice disorders. Many services are transitioning to telehealth models to maintain physical distancing measures and conserve personal protective equipment used by healthcare workers during laryngoscopy examinations. The speech-language pathology primary contact (SLPPC) assessment for patients referred to ear, nose and throat (ENT) services in Australia has been shown to reduce waiting times for assessment while streamlining access to ENT assessment and allied health practitioner treatment pathways.

Supraglottic Botulinum Toxin Improves Symptoms in Patients with Laryngeal Sensory Dysfunction Manifesting as Abnormal Throat Sensation and/or Chronic Refractory Cough.

Laryngeal sensory dysfunction (LSD) encompasses disorders of the vagal sensory pathways. Common manifestations include chronic refractory cough (CRC) and abnormal throat sensation (ATS). This study examined clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of LSD using a novel approach of laryngeal supraglottic Onabotulinum toxin Type A injection (BTX).

Swallowing and laryngeal complications in lung and heart transplantation: Etiologies and diagnosis.

Despite continued surgical advancements in the field of cardiothoracic transplantation, post-operative complications remain a burden for the patient and the multidisciplinary team. Lesser-known complications including swallowing disorders (dysphagia), and voice disorders (dysphonia), are now being reported. Such disorders are known to be associated with increased morbidity and mortality in other medical populations, however their etiology amongst the heart and lung transplant populations has received little attention in the literature.

Active Ingredients of Voice Therapy for Muscle Tension Voice Disorders: A Retrospective Data Audit.

Although voice therapy is the first line treatment for muscle-tension voice disorders (MTVD), no clinical research has investigated the role of specific active ingredients. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of active ingredients in the treatment of MTVD. A retrospective review of a clinical voice database was conducted on 68 MTVD patients who were treated using the optimal phonation task (OPT) and sob voice quality (SVQ), as well as two different processes: task variation and negative practice (NP).

Aerosol-generating behaviours in speech pathology clinical practice: A systematic literature review.

Objective: To evaluate the evidence of aerosol generation across tasks involved in voice and speech assessment and intervention, to inform better management and to reduce transmission risk of such diseases as COVID-19 in healthcare settings and the wider community.

Design: Systematic literature review.

Data Sources And Eligibility: Medline, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, PubMed Central and grey literature through ProQuest, The Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, COVID-Evidence and speech pathology national bodies were searched up until August 13th, 2020 for articles examining the aerosol-generating activities in clinical voice and speech assessment and intervention within speech pathology.

Effectiveness of Intensive Voice Therapy Versus Weekly Therapy for Muscle Tension Dysphonia: A Noninferiority Randomised Controlled Trial With Nested Focus Group.

Objectives: To investigate the noninferiority of intensive voice therapy and compare its effects with weekly voice therapy on multidimensional outcomes of voice and well-being, satisfaction, and attendance in people with muscle tension dysphonia (MTD). The study further aimed to explore clinician's perceptions of barriers and enablers to implementation of intensive therapy.

Study Design: Noninferiority randomised controlled trial with nested focus group.

Acoustic voice characteristics with and without wearing a facemask.

Facemasks are essential for healthcare workers but characteristics of the voice whilst wearing this personal protective equipment are not well understood. In the present study, we compared acoustic voice measures in recordings of sixteen adults producing standardised vocal tasks with and without wearing either a surgical mask or a KN95 mask. Data were analysed for mean spectral levels at 0-1 kHz and 1-8 kHz regions, an energy ratio between 0-1 and 1-8 kHz (LH1000), harmonics-to-noise ratio (HNR), smoothed cepstral peak prominence (CPPS), and vocal intensity.

Identifying Clinical Behaviors Using the Motor Learning Classification Framework: A Pilot Study.

Context: Although differences in clinical interactions with patients between students and experienced clinicians are well described, differences in therapeutic training behaviors have not been explored, especially in relation to motor learning principles.

Aims: This pilot study compared clinical behaviors between speech language pathology (SLP) students and experienced SLPs in a voice therapy task, using prepractice variables in the Motor Learning Classification Framework (MLCF).

Methods: Using a quasi-experimental design, five final-year undergraduate SLP students and four experienced SLPs with a voice therapy caseload taught a standardized patient to produce a vocal siren.

Effects of 445-nm Laser on Vessels of Chick Chorioallantoic Membrane with Implications to Microlaryngeal Laser Surgery.

Objective: Previous research has shown that effective application of angiolytic lasers in microlaryngeal surgery is determined by wavelength, pulse width (PW), and fluence. Recently, a 445-nm (blue) laser (BL) has been developed with a potentially greater hemoglobin absorption than previous lasers. The chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) represents a suitable model for testing various settings to find out the most optimal settings of this laser.

Impact of Instructed Laryngeal Manipulation on Acoustic Measures of Voice-Preliminary Results.

Background: Control of laryngeal muscles is required to manipulate pitch, volume, and voice quality. False vocal fold activity (FVFA) refers to the constriction and release of constriction of the false vocal folds. True vocal fold mass (TVFM) represents the cross-sectional thickness of the vocal folds.