Multidimensional Assessment of the Effectiveness of Group Voice Therapy

• Published in: Journal of voice Vol. 31; no. 6; pp. 714 - 721
• Main Authors: Cantarella, Giovanna, Torretta, Sara, Ferruta, Silvia, Ciabatta, Annaclara, Manfredi, Claudia, Pignataro, Lorenzo, Dejonckere, Philippe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.11.2017
• Subjects: Acoustics; Adult; Aged; Disability Evaluation; Dysphonia; Dysphonia - diagnosis; Dysphonia - physiopathology; Dysphonia - rehabilitation; Female; Group Processes; Group voice therapy; Health Behavior; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Middle Aged; Multidimensional assessment; Otolaryngology; Phonation; Predictive Value of Tests; Prospective Studies; Recovery of Function; Speech Acoustics; Speech Production Measurement; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Vocal Cords - physiopathology; Voice; Voice fatigue; Voice Quality; Voice Training; Young Adult; Voice fatigue; Dysphonia; Multidimensional assessment; Voice; Group voice therapy
• ISSN: 0892-1997; 1873-4588
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2017.02.004

Summary Objective Group voice therapy has been successfully used in patients with dysphonia, but there is little objectively documented evidence of its effects on voice quality and the self-perception of voice fatigue. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of group therapy in patients with functional dysphonia and minor anatomic vocal fold pathologies linked by appearance and history to voice use in an objective and multidimensional manner. Study design This is a prospective longitudinal study. Methods Before and after treatment, 34 adult women underwent perceptual voice assessments using the grade of dysphonia, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, and strain (GRBAS) scale, Evaluation Vocale Assistée (EVA) system aerodynamic and acoustic assessments, and maximum phonation time measurements, and made subjective evaluations using the Voice Handicap Index. The pretreatment baseline values of the participants were obtained by means of two examinations separated by an interval of 1 week. The parameters belonging to each main dimension were clustered by means of Z -transformation, and the corresponding Z -scores were analyzed. Results Group therapy was associated with a statistically significant improvement in the perceptual ( P  = 0.008), acoustic ( P  = 0.040), aerodynamic ( P  = 0.009 and <0.001), and self-evaluation parameters ( P  = 0.011). Conclusions Our findings provide evidence that group voice therapy can be associated with improvements in perceptual, acoustic, aerodynamic, and self-evaluated parameters in some patients with dysphonia. Controlled, randomized studies are needed in follow-up. This method of treatment may be a means of reducing the costs and waiting lists associated with rehabilitative treatment, and enhancing patients' motivation and compliance.