Demographics and Clinical Characteristics Associated with the Spread of New-Onset Laryngeal Dystonia.

Objectives: Adult-onset idiopathic laryngeal dystonia (LD) can be associated with the risk of spread to muscles in the body. Subjects with extralaryngeal onset of dystonia have exhibited spread to the larynx. Previous studies analyze the spread of other dystonias but emphasis has not been placed on LD.

Thoracic Duct Occlusion Leading to Intermittent Left Supraclavicular Swelling and Pancreatitis.

Intermittent left supraclavicular swelling is an uncommon and elusive condition that can lead to extensive diagnostic workups to determine the etiology and treatment. One potential cause is partial, intermittent, or complete thoracic duct occlusion (TDO). We report on a patient who presented with chronic, intermittent left supraclavicular swelling and abdominal pain that was relieved by thoracic duct angioplasty.

Assessing Candidacy for Conversation Training Therapy: The Role of Patient Perception.

Objective: Voice therapy is the primary treatment modality for voice rehabilitation. Specific patient-ability factors beyond patient-characteristic factors (eg, disorder diagnosis, age, etc.), that influence individual patient responses to voice treatment remain largely unknown.

An Evaluation of the Content of Canadian Plastic Surgery Residency Websites.

Plastic surgery residency program websites are an important source of information to prospective applicants, especially given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and resulting suspension of all visiting electives and in-person interviews. This study aimed to analyze the online content of Canadian plastic surgery residency program websites. The content of all accredited Canadian plastic surgery residency websites was evaluated using 77-point criteria in the following 10 domains: recruitment, faculty, residents, research and education, surgical program, clinical work, benefits and career planning, wellness, environment, and gender of faculty leadership.

Indexing Cognitive Resource Usage for Acquisition of Initial Voice Therapy Targets.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to index cognitive resource usage for acquisition of initial targets of two common voice therapy techniques (resonant voice therapy [RVT] and conversation training therapy [CTT]) based on the theorized depletion effect (i.e., when an initial task requiring high cognitive load leads to poorer performance on a subsequent task).

Effect of Behavioral Cough Suppression Therapy Delivered via Telehealth.

Objectives/hypothesis: Behavioral cough suppression therapy (BCST) has demonstrated up to 88% effectiveness at treating refractory chronic cough (RCC). With onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, along with many other medical services, BCST shifted to telehealth delivery. Our group hypothesized that BCST delivered via telemedicine by a specialized Speech-Language Pathologist would be comparable to previously reported response to treatment for in-person settings.

Demographic Differences in Clinical Presentation of Pediatric Paradoxical Vocal Fold Motion (PVFM).

Objectives: Paradoxical vocal fold motion (PVFM) is involuntary closure of the vocal folds during inspiration, often presenting in children and young adults. Although common symptoms and triggers are known, differences in clinical presentation based on patient demographics are unknown. This study characterizes differences in clinical presentation of pediatric PVFM based on age, sex, and race/ethnicity.

Need for Speed: Investigating Publication Times and Impact Factors of Plastic Surgery Journals.

Background: Prolonged publishing time in scientific journals can be discouraging for researchers because earlier publication can mean a higher h-index and more academic opportunities. In this study, we evaluated the publication time for articles in plastic surgery journals compared with journals in surgery and medicine. We also assessed correlations between publication speed and journal impact factors (IFs).

Vocal Acoustics and Aerodynamics During Scripted Reading Compared to Spontaneous Speech.

Background: Examination of vocal acoustics and phonatory aerodynamics during connected speech provide a more ecologically valid approach to voice assessment than single phoneme measures. The purpose of the current investigation was to determine if differences exist in vocal acoustics and aerodynamics between reading and spontaneous speech tasks in patients with common voice disorders.

Methods: The Emory University Institutional Review Board approved this retrospective study.

Cannabis Consumption Among Patients With a Voice Disorder: A Multicenter E-Survey Study.

Introduction: Legalization of cannabis consumption in the United States (U.S.) has increased rapidly, impacting consumption rates in the general U.

The Impact of Referral Source on Voice Therapy.

Introduction: Adherence to voice therapy is essential in achieving successful voice outcomes. Previous studies within the field of voice therapy have suggested that shorter wait times and utilization of an interprofessional practice (IPP) model of care have a positive effect on voice therapy completion rates. While the implementation of IPP has gained popularity, especially at academic voice centers, the majority of speech-language pathologists (SLP) practice in a traditional (T) setting where they are unaffiliated with the referring otolaryngologist.

Conversation Training Therapy: Let's Talk It Through.

This article introduces a novel approach to voice therapy called conversation training therapy (CTT). CTT is the first voice therapy approach to remove the therapeutic hierarchy common in most treatment programs. Rather, CTT uses patient-driven conversation as the sole stimuli in therapy to increase perceptual awareness of voice production in conversational speech.

Systemic Bevacizumab for Treatment of Respiratory Papillomatosis: International Consensus Statement.

Objectives/hypothesis: The purpose of this study is to develop consensus on key points that would support the use of systemic bevacizumab for the treatment of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP), and to provide preliminary guidance surrounding the use of this treatment modality.

Study Design: Delphi method-based survey series.

Methods: A multidisciplinary, multi-institutional panel of physicians with experience using systemic bevacizumab for the treatment of RRP was established.

Beauty and Attractiveness in the Human Voice.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the difference between vocal beauty and vocal attractiveness by determining whether perceptual ratings of vocal beauty and vocal attractiveness could be dissociated in a cohort of normal raters without a diagnosed sexual desire disorder.

Methods: Twenty five gay male participants were presented with randomly-chosen samples from the Geneva Voices and Faces Database, and were asked to rate each sample in terms of beauty, attractiveness for a relationship of short duration, and attractiveness for a relationship of long duration. Responses were recorded on a visual analog scale (0-100) using a touch-screen interface.

Validation of the Communicative Participation Item Bank as an Outcome Measure for Spasmodic Dysphonia.

Objectives: Current patient-reported outcome measures do not adequately capture the impact of spasmodic dysphonia (SD) on communication in daily life situations. The aim of this study was to validate the Communicative Participation Item Bank (CPIB), which specifically measures a disease's impact on daily conversational situations, as an outcome measure for SD.

Study Design: Multi-institutional prospective cohort study.

Phonation With a Variably Occluded Facemask: Effects of Task Duration.

Objective: Semioccluded vocal tract (SOVT) exercises are routinely included in many voice therapy programs because they have been shown to improve acoustic, aerodynamic, and patient-reported voice outcomes. One limitation of the traditional SOVT exercise is that the nature of phonation through straws or semioccluded oral postures allows only for single phoneme production. A variably occluded facemask (VOFM) allows for use of articulated connected speech beyond the production of single phonemes, while still providing occlusion and, presumably, the vocal efficiency benefits that arise from it.

Revisiting Sustained Phonation Time of /s/, /z/, and /α/.

Purpose: Research studies of maximum phonation time, have questioned its validity and value as a tool to assess laryngeal competence. This study proposes a fresh look at phonation time, from a different perspective. The interrelationships of the durations between semiocclusion vs.

Evaluating Safety of Awake, Bilateral Injection Laryngoplasty for Bilateral Vocal Fold Atrophy.

Objective: Office-based injection laryngoplasty (IL) has emerged as a useful procedure for otolaryngologists to correct glottic insufficiency while avoiding the costs and risks of general anesthesia. This is the first study focused on addressing the safety of bilateral IL for bilateral vocal fold (VF) atrophy.

Methods: Patient records were reviewed from Emory University Hospital Midtown during the period of 2005 to 2017.

The prevalence of cognitive impairment in laryngology treatment-seeking patients.

Objectives/hypothesis: The incidence of cognitive impairment (CI) in the elderly general population is 10% to 20%. The incidence of CI in the elderly laryngology treatment-seeking population is unknown, and CI may impact decision making for elective medical/surgical treatment and negatively impact the outcome of voice/swallowing therapy. We sought to determine the prevalence of CI in elderly patients who are seeking laryngology care and to evaluate the feasibility of administering a cognitive screening instrument.

Carcinoma presenting as idiopathic anterior glottic webs: A case series.

An anterior glottic web is an abnormal fusion of the anterior aspect of the membranous vocal folds. Noncongenital glottic webs are usually iatrogenic from intubation or laryngeal surgery. We present six adult patients whose initial in-office diagnoses were consistent with "idiopathic" benign anterior glottic webs as determined by three laryngologists (a.

Airflow Patterns of Running Speech in Patients With Voice Disorders.

Objective: Aerodynamic measures of voice have historically been acquired using sustained phonation tasks. This study seeks to determine whether there are differences in airflow during sustained phonation (MFs), in running speech (MFrs), or during phonation in running speech (MFvrs). We also seek to determine whether these patterns are diagnostically significant.

Consensus-Based Attributes for Identifying Patients With Spasmodic Dysphonia and Other Voice Disorders.

Importance: A roadblock for research on adductor spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD), abductor SD (ABSD), voice tremor (VT), and muscular tension dysphonia (MTD) is the lack of criteria for selecting patients with these disorders.

Objective: To determine the agreement among experts not using standard guidelines to classify patients with ABSD, ADSD, VT, and MTD, and develop expert consensus attributes for classifying patients for research.

Design, Setting And Participants: From 2011 to 2016, a multicenter observational study examined agreement among blinded experts when classifying patients with ADSD, ABSD, VT or MTD (first study).