Purpose: The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a physiologic voice therapy program based on water resistance therapy (WRT) exercises including connected speech in a group of subjects with voice complaints (vocal effort and fatigue).
Methods: Twenty-four participants with behavioral dysphonia were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: (1) voice treatment with WRT plus vocal hygiene program (n = 12), and (2) vocal hygiene program only (n = 12). Laryngoscopic assessment was performed in all subjects. Before and after voice therapy, participants underwent aerodynamic and electroglottographic assessment. The Voice Handicap Index (VHI) and self-assessment of resonant voice were also performed. The treatment included six voice therapy sessions. For the experimental group, the exercises consisted of a sequence of seven phonatory tasks performed with two different voice training devices (PocketVox and MaskVox). Comparison for all variables was performed between experimental group and control group.
Results: Significant differences were found for experimental group for VHI physical subscale, and self-perceived resonant voice when comparing pre-post conditions. A strong negative correlation between self-perceived resonant voice and VHI physical sub-score was also reported. No significant differences were found for instrumented variables.
Conclusion: Physiologic voice therapy based on WRT exercises including connected speech seems to be an effective tool to improve self-perceived voice in subjects diagnosed with voice complaints. Apparently, changes are more prone to occur in perceptual variables related with physical discomfort associate with voice production. A reduction in phonatory effort and perceptual aspects of vocal fatigue are the main improvements.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2020.12.022 | DOI Listing |
Background: Vocal fatigue involves self-perceived vocal symptoms and reduced physiological capacity. This study aimed to adapt and validate the Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI), a tool originally designed to distinguish between patients with vocal fatigue and vocally healthy individuals, for Italian speakers.
Method: A four-step translation and validation process was employed.
BMJ Open
December 2024
Wiser Healthcare Research Collaboration, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Introduction: A diagnosis of melanoma in situ presents negligible risk to a person's lifespan or physical well-being, but existing terminology makes it difficult for patients to distinguish these from higher risk invasive melanomas. This study aims to explore whether using an alternative label for melanoma in situ may influence patients' management choices and anxiety levels.
Methods And Analysis: This study is a between-subjects randomised online experiment, using hypothetical scenarios.
BMC Health Serv Res
January 2025
Cambridge Centre for Neuropsychiatric Research, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Background: Poor care experiences are reported for premenstrual disorders, which may result in negative outcomes such as distress, reduced healthcare engagement, and delays to diagnosis. This research aimed to explore healthcare experiences for premenstrual symptoms in the United Kingdom and identify areas for potential improvements based on participant responses.
Method: An online survey was delivered, with participants recruited via social media.
BMC Public Health
January 2025
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) School for Public Health Research (SPHR), Newcastle, UK.
Background: In England, 23% of children aged 11 start their teenage years living with obesity. An adolescent living with obesity is five times more likely to live with obesity in adult life. There is limited research and policy incorporating adolescents' views on how they experience the commercial determinants of dietary behaviour and obesity, which misses an opportunity to improve services and policies that aim to influence the prevalence of childhood obesity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Musculoskelet Disord
January 2025
VOICES Health Policy Research Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University, 450 Broadway Street MC: 6342, Redwood City, CA, 94603, USA.
Background: As value-based care arrangements continue to assess quality of care and costs, comprehensive and patient-centered definitions of quality of care are required. While patient-reported outcome measures are increasingly integrated into quality assessments following total joint arthroplasty (TJA), patient perceptions of quality paired with the phase of surgical care has not been described. The purpose of this study was to assess how TJA patients perceive measures of quality of care and assess if these perceptions change based on the phase of care.
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