Vocal Effort and Acoustic Analysis of Gargle Phonation Versus Water Swallow in Patients With Muscle Tension Dysphonia: A Clinical Trial.

Purpose: To determine the effects of gargle phonation (GP) on self-perceived vocal improvement, vocal effort, acoustic parameters, and speech rate in patients with muscle tension dysphonia (MTD). We hypothesized that GP would improve voice, reduce phonatory effort, and alter acoustic and speech measures.

Study Design: Prospective randomized, single-blind cross-over clinical trial METHODS: Thirty-four participants (26 females, 8 males; average age 53 years) who were diagnosed with MTD completed the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) and were assigned three study conditions: Baseline (B), GP, and Water Swallow (WS; sham), presented in one of two counterbalanced orders B-WS-GP (WS) or B-GP-WS (GP).

An Evaluation of Quality, Reliability, and Accuracy of Vocal Health Content on TikTok.

Objectives: Social media plays an ever-growing part in modern life and is a frequent source of health information for patients. Singers are particularly likely to receive health information solely from fellow musicians and may experience barriers to seeking vocal healthcare. However, there have been no studies to date evaluating vocal health information on social media.

Landmark-based analysis of speech differentiates conversational from clear speech in speakers with muscle tension dysphonia.

This study evaluated the feasibility of differentiating conversational and clear speech produced by individuals with muscle tension dysphonia (MTD) using landmark-based analysis of speech (LMBAS). Thirty-four adult speakers with MTD recorded conversational and clear speech, with 27 of them able to produce clear speech. The recordings of these individuals were analyzed with the open-source LMBAS program, SpeechMark®, matlab Toolbox version 1.

Singing Voice Concern in Tertiary Laryngology Practice.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and characteristics of patients who identify singing voice as a primary concern when presenting with general voice complaints to a voice clinic.

Methods: Data were collected from medical records on demographics, medical history, laryngoscopy exam, diagnosis, and subsequent treatments; and from self-report questionnaires including the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) and clinical voice questionnaire.

Results: A total of 17% of patients presenting to a voice clinic with general voice problems who completed a VHI-10 identified singing voice as a primary concern.

Dysphagia in Parkinson's disease patients prior to deep brain stimulation: Is screening accurate?

Background: Swallowing problems are common in Parkinson's Disease (PD) and aspiration pneumonia is the leading cause of death. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery can successfully manage the motor symptoms of PD when pharmacological management begins to fail. Before DBS it is important to identify baseline dysfunction, but no consensus regarding swallowing screening exists.

Potential Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Communication and Language Skills in Children.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to many unintended, long-lasting consequences for society. Preventative practices such as mask wearing, social distancing, and virtual meetings and classrooms to address contagion concerns may negatively affect communication, particularly in the pediatric population, as schools have begun to open this fall. Increasing awareness and creating innovative methods to promote communication and language learning in settings both in person and virtual is paramount.

The Role of Speech-Language Pathologists in Otolaryngology Resident Education.

Objectives/introduction: Laryngology is an expanding field that has been increasingly incorporated into otolaryngology resident training programs nationwide. The exposure to the field is variable across training programs, despite the fact that laryngological complaints comprise a large proportion of consultations to otolaryngologists. Laryngology education is vital for the care of patients with voice, swallowing, and airway complaints as well as for the appropriate referral of patients to the laryngology team for specialized care.

Patterns of Recovery From Aphasia in the First 2 Weeks After Stroke.

Purpose Recovery from aphasia after stroke has a decelerating trajectory, with the greatest gains taking place early and the slope of change decreasing over time. Despite its importance, little is known regarding evolution of language function in the early postonset period. The goal of this study was to characterize the dynamics and nature of recovery of language function in the acute and early subacute phases of stroke.

Use of an image-guided robotic radiosurgery system for the treatment of canine nonlymphomatous nasal tumors.

An image-guided robotic stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) system can be used to deliver curative-intent radiation in either single fraction or hypofractionated doses. Medical records for 19 dogs with nonlymphomatous nasal tumors treated with hypofractionated image-guided robotic stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), either with or without adjunctive treatment, were retrospectively analyzed for survival and prognostic factors. Median survival time (MST) was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier survival curves.

Biological behavior of oral and perioral mast cell tumors in dogs: 44 cases (1996-2006).

Objective: To describe clinical outcome of dogs with mast cell tumors (MCTs) arising from the oral mucosa, oral mucocutaneous junction, or perioral region of the muzzle and evaluate the potential role of the chemokine receptor type 7 (CCR7) in the biological behavior of these tumors.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Animals: 44 dogs with MCTs of the oral mucosa (n=14), oral mucocutaneous junction (19), or perioral region of the muzzle (11).

Evaluation of a head-repositioner and Z-plate system for improved accuracy of dose delivery.

Radiation therapy requires accurate dose delivery to targets often identifiable only on computed tomography (CT) images. Translation between the isocenter localized on CT and laser setup for radiation treatment, and interfractional head repositioning are frequent sources of positioning error. The objective was to design a simple, accurate apparatus to eliminate these sources of error.

Double-blind placebo-controlled trial of adjuvant pamidronate with palliative radiotherapy and intravenous doxorubicin for canine appendicular osteosarcoma bone pain.

Background: Canine osteosarcoma (OSA) causes focal malignant osteolysis leading to severe pain. Despite the documented efficacy of radiotherapy or IV aminobisphosphonates for managing cancer bone pain, their potential combined therapeutic value has not been reported in OSA-bearing dogs.

Hypothesis: Pamidronate combined with standardized palliative therapy will improve pain control and bone biologic effects in OSA-bearing dogs.

In vivo and in vitro efficacy of zoledronate for treating oral squamous cell carcinoma in cats.

Background: Feline oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) may cause painful bone destruction. Given the local invasiveness and rapid clinical progression of OSCC, conventional therapies are often palliative. In human cancer patients, zoledronate exerts anticancer effects by inhibiting tumor-induced angiogenesis and malignant osteolysis.

In vitro cyclooxygenase-2 protein expression and enzymatic activity in neoplastic cells.

Background: Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and its principle enzymatic metabolite, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), are implicated in cancer progression. Based upon immunohistochemical (IHC) evidence that several tumor types in animals overexpress COX-2 protein, COX-2 inhibitors are used as anticancer agents in dogs and cats.

Hypothesis: IHC is inaccurate for assessing tumor-associated COX-2 protein and enzymatic activity.

Single-agent pamidronate for palliative therapy of canine appendicular osteosarcoma bone pain.

Background: Canine appendicular osteosarcoma (OSA) causes focal bone destruction, leading to chronic pain and reduced quality-of-life scores. Drugs that inhibit pathologic osteolysis might provide additional treatment options for managing cancer-induced bone pain. Aminobisphosphonates induce osteoclast apoptosis, thereby reducing pain associated with malignant osteolysis in human patients with cancer.

Clinicopathological findings and results of bone marrow aspiration in dogs with cutaneous mast cell tumours: 157 cases (1999-2002).

Bone marrow aspiration for routine staging of canine cutaneous mast cell tumour is not consistently performed, and the overall incidence of bone marrow infiltration and predictive value of the complete blood count (CBC) is unknown. This study evaluated a series of 157 dogs presented for cutaneous mast cell tumours in which a CBC and bone marrow aspiration were performed. The incidence of bone marrow infiltration at initial staging was low at 2.

Urine N-telopeptide excretion in dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma.

Canine appendicular osteosarcoma (OSA) is a commonly diagnosed cancer that is capable of inducing pathologic bone remodeling. Investigating surrogate indices of bone metabolism may contribute to the diagnostic and therapeutic management of bone malignancies in companion animals. This study evaluated the excretion of N-terminal telopeptide (NTx), a marker of bone resorption that is detected in urine.

Association of argyrophilic nucleolar organizing regions, Ki-67, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen scores with histologic grade and survival in dogs with soft tissue sarcomas: 60 cases (1996-2002).

Objective: To determine whether argyrophilic nucleolar organizing regions (AgNORs), Ki-67, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) scores were associated with histologic grade and survival in dogs with soft tissue sarcomas (STSs).

Design: Retrospective study.

Animals: 60 dogs with STSs.

Retrospective evaluation of adjunctive doxorubicin for the treatment of feline mammary gland adenocarcinoma: 67 cases.

Medical records for 67 cats with histologically confirmed mammary gland adenocarcinomas treated with adjunctive doxorubicin from June 1994 through December 2002 were reviewed. Data were examined to evaluate factors influencing disease-free interval (DFI) and survival time. The Kaplan-Meier median survival time of cats that received surgery and doxorubicin was 448 days.

Evaluation of intracavitary mitoxantrone and carboplatin for treatment of carcinomatosis, sarcomatosis and mesothelioma, with or without malignant effusions: A retrospective analysis of 12 cases (1997-2002)*.

Abstract Carcinomatosis, sarcomatosis and mesothelioma, with or without malignant effusions, are difficult to treat and generally carry a poor prognosis. The purpose of this study was two-fold; first, to determine the prognosis for dogs with carcinomatosis, sarcomatosis, or mesothelioma, with or without malignant effusions; second, to evaluate the safety and efficacy of treatment with intracavitary (IC) carboplatin and mitoxantrone in dogs with these syndromes. Nineteen dogs were evaluated.

Assessment of corticosteroid-induced alkaline phosphatase as a prognostic indicator in canine lymphoma.

Objectives: To examine the incidence of elevated corticosteroid-induced alkaline phosphatase (sALP) in dogs with lymphoma and to determine if sALP is a reliable prognostic indicator in canine lymphoma.

Methods: The medical records of 62 canine lymphoma patients treated with a combination chemotherapy protocol from 1994 to 2003 at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital were examined. Variables assessed with respect to response rate and remission duration included age, bodyweight, sex, breed, World Health Organization stage (I to V), substage (a or b), pretreatment administration of corticosteroid, and serum levels of alkaline phosphatase, sALP and alanine aminotransferase.

Evaluation of intravenous pamidronate administration in 33 cancer-bearing dogs with primary or secondary bone involvement.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical safety of pamidronate when administered at a mean dosage of 1.0 mg/kg IV q28d in 33 tumor-bearing dogs. Biochemical tests of renal function were evaluated before each successive pamidronate treatment.

Risk factors for sterile hemorrhagic cystitis in dogs with lymphoma receiving cyclophosphamide with or without concurrent administration of furosemide: 216 cases (1990-1996).

Objectives: To determine incidence and identify predisposing factors for sterile hemorrhagic cystitis (SHC) in dogs with lymphoma that were treated with cyclophosphamide and to evaluate whether furosemide administered i.v. concurrently with cyclophosphamide decreased the incidence of SHC.

Long-term survival of dogs with advanced malignant melanoma after DNA vaccination with xenogeneic human tyrosinase: a phase I trial.

Purpose: Canine malignant melanoma (CMM) is a spontaneous, aggressive, and metastatic neoplasm. Preclinical mouse studies have shown that xenogeneic DNA vaccination with genes encoding tyrosinase family members can induce antibody and cytotoxic T-cell responses, resulting in tumor rejection. These studies provided the rationale for a trial of xenogeneic DNA vaccination in CMM using the human tyrosinase gene.