Background: Although psychological factors have been implicated in patients with functional dysphonia (FD), conventional voice therapy (CVT) typically targets the aberrant voice symptoms exclusively. Yet, CVT is not always successful, and in view of the significant adverse quality of life impact combined with the financial burden on the healthcare…

Purpose: This study aimed to determine whether a simplified, and potentially more stable, acoustic-aerodynamic voice outcome ratio (ratio of sound pressure level [SPL] to subglottal pressure) is comparable to a traditional vocal efficiency measure (ratio of acoustic power to the product of average subglottal pressure and average phonatory airflow)…

Introduction: Speech Language Therapy First Point of Contact Clinic (SLT-FPOCC) models can assist assessment of low-risk patient populations referred to ear, nose and throat (ENT) services. To further improve ENT waitlist management and compliance with best-practice care, consideration of other low-risk populations that could be safely managed…

Purpose: Despite the high prevalence of primary muscle tension dysphonia (MTD-1), its underlying mechanisms and their interrelationships have yet to be fully identified. The objectives of this integrative review were (a) to describe and classify the suggested underlying mechanisms for MTD-1, (b) to appraise the empirical evidence supporting each…

Purpose: Patients with voice problems commonly report increased vocal effort, regardless of the underlying pathophysiology. Previous studies investigating vocal effort and voice production have used a range of methods to quantify vocal effort. The goals of the current study were to use the Borg CR100 effort scale to (a) demonstrate the relation…

Purpose: The goal of this study was to experimentally evaluate how compensating for the adverse acoustic effects of a posterior glottal opening (PGO) by increasing subglottal pressure and changing supraglottal compression, as have been associated with vocal hyperfunction, influences the risk of vocal fold (VF) trauma. Method: A self-oscillating…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the pathophysiology and impact on daily voice use of nonphonotraumatic vocal hyperfunction (NPVH). Method: An ambulatory voice monitor collected 1 week of data from 36 patients with NPVH and 36 vocally healthy matched controls. A subset of 11 patients with NPVH…

Purpose: The aims of this study were: (1) to quantify variability in voice production (as measured acoustically) within and across consecutive days in vocally healthy female speakers; (2) to identify which acoustic measures are sensitive to this variability; and (3) to identify participant characteristics related to such voice variability. Method:…