Wearable Non-Invasive Neuromodulation Device for the Symptomatic Treatment of the Voice Disorder Spasmodic Dysphonia

Author(s):  
Arash Mahnan ◽  
Jürgen Konczak ◽  
Sayed Abdolrasoul Faraji

Spasmodic dysphonia (SD) is a voice disorder that leads to strained or choked speech. SD is unresponsive to speech therapy. There is no cure for SD. Preliminary work from our group showed that voice quality in SD improves when vibro-tactile stimulation (VTS) is applied over the larynx as a non-invasive form of neuromodulation. The goal of this paper is to describe the design and development of a non-invasive wearable device, which applies VTS to laryngeal muscles with the aim to improve voice quality of individuals with SD. This paper provides preliminary data about the effectiveness of this wearable device for treating the voice symptoms associated with SD.

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Anna Kuligowska ◽  
Barbara Jamróz ◽  
Joanna Chmielewska ◽  
Katarzyna Jędra ◽  
Tomasz Czernicki ◽  
...  

Aim of study: Evaluation of the speech therapy on voice quality in patients with unilateral vocal fold palsy. Material and methods: The study group included 11 patients, 8 women and 3 men, in age between 16 to 72 years, with unilateral vocal fold palsy, diagnosed in ENT Department of Warsaw Medical University between 2017-2018. Each person completed questionnaires: the voice disability self-assessment scale (VHI), the voice-based quality of life (VRQoL) scale, the vocal tract discomfort scale (VTD). All questionnaires were completed twice, before and after the voice therapy. In addition, the acoustic analysis of the voice, the assessment of the maximum phonation time and the breathing tract were performed twice in each patient. Each of the patients had a voice rehabilitation consisting of a series of 10 meetings. Results: Statistical analysis of the results of maximum phonation time, the self-assessment of voice disability, the quality of life depending on the voice, discomfort of the vocal tract voice acoustic analysis showed statistically significant differences in the results before and after rehabilitation (p <0.005). In addition, the improvement of the respiratory tract was observed in the majority of patients. Conclusions: Speech therapy significantly affects the voice quality of patients with unilateral laryngeal nerve palsy.


Author(s):  
Nathalee C. de Almeida ◽  
Jannayna D. Barros ◽  
Heliana B. Soares ◽  
Adriano de A. Bresolin ◽  
Ana Maria G. Guerreiro ◽  
...  

Digital signal processing techniques have been used by acoustic analysis to evaluate the voice quality of the patient, due to the simplicity and non-invasive procedures for measurements.


1970 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Bhattarai ◽  
A Shrestha ◽  
Sunil Kumar Shah

Puberphonia is a rare disorder, in which the patient manifests higher register voice than others of their same age group. Manifestation is less in women than men. The prevalence is 1 in 900,000. Apart from impact on voice of patient, puberphonia also has impact on the psycho-social aspect. Different treatment modalities have been put forward in the past, many of which lack validity and EBP. Voice therapy has proven to be the most effective in the management of puberphonia. Voice Handicap Index (VHI) is a tool for assessing the perceived handicap by the patient. VHI has 3 parts and overall score of 120 and individual subset has score of 40 each. Result: Patient who received voice therapy obtained better score on the overall scale as well as on each subsets of the VHI. Conclusion: The study concludes that the voice therapy not only improves the voice quality of the patient, but also improves the quality of life of the patient. The impact of voice disorder (puberphonia) is most prominent on the emotional section. Keywords: Puberphonia; voice therapy; VHI. DOI: 10.3126/jcmsn.v6i1.3605 Journal of College of Medical Sciences-Nepal, 2010, Vol. 6, No. 1, 57-62


CoDAS ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 178-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Alice Figueirêdo de Almeida ◽  
Luana Ramos Fernandes ◽  
Elma Heitmann Mares Azevedo ◽  
Renata Serrano de Andrade Pinheiro ◽  
Leonardo Wanderley Lopes

Purpose: To examine the voice and personality characteristics of patients diagnosed with organic dysphonia secondary to vocal fold immobility. Methods: The study comprised patients of both genders, attending the Clinic School of Speech Therapy of the Federal University of Paraíba, with otorhinolaryngological diagnosis of vocal fold immobility and speech therapy diagnosis of dysphonia. The self-assessment of voice was measured through a Vocal Screening Protocol and Voice Symptoms Scale (VoiSS), the voice was collected for auditory-perceptive evaluation, and the Factorial Personality Battery (FPB) was used. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed to determine the frequency, mean, and standard deviation of the studied variables. Results: Eight patients participated in the study, of both genders, with average age of 40.4±16.9 years. The more frequent risk factors were the personal ones (4.7±2.1). In the VoiSS, the patients presented a higher average in the limitation score (34.1±15.7). From the auditory-perceptive evaluation, moderate intensity of vocal deviation was obtained, with predominant vocal roughness (57.7±25.2). In the FPB, the patients had an average higher than the cutoff scores in neuroticism (3.8±1.4) and accomplishment (5.2±1.0). Conclusion: The predominant vocal parameter was roughness. The patients referred to a few risk factors that compromise the vocal behavior and presented the neuroticism and realization factors as a highlight in their personality. Thus, individuals with vocal fold immobility show personality characteristics that may be a reflection of their voice disorder, not a factor that determines their dysphonia.


Logopedija ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anđela Bučević ◽  
Ana Bonetti ◽  
Luka Bonetti

The aim of this research paper was to examine the voice quality of sports coaches using the objective (acoustic) method. A total of 28 sports coaches (mean age 28.58, SD=5.08), from the City of Zagreb participated in this research. Recordings of the phonation of the vowel /a/ before and after one training session were obtained and analyzed using the PRAAT Program. Mean, minimal and maximal values of fundamental frequency, shimmer, jitter and harmonics-to-noise ratio were observed. The statistical analyses showed no statistically significant difference in acoustic voice quality of male and female coaches before and after the training session, or between male and female coaches. However, intra-individual differences among participants were observed, which may be significant in terms of their potential to affect the quality of their voices in the future.


2013 ◽  
Vol 671-674 ◽  
pp. 2847-2850
Author(s):  
Xue Ming Deng ◽  
Qiao Wei Liu ◽  
Dong Song Yang ◽  
Yi Fei Zhang ◽  
Kan Jun Fu
Keyword(s):  
Sd Card ◽  

We aim to invent an automatic bus station reporter based on GPS module, VS1003 chip and SD card. Firstly, the VS1003 chip within the reporter can both decode and play the MP3 files, greatly improving the voice quality of the reporter itself. Secondly, the SD card with giant storage can store the information of bus stations and the accordingly voice files, making it free from the limit of capacity. Besides, with the change of SD cards, the reporter can adjust itself to different bus lines and gives different voice messages.


Revista CEFAC ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-200
Author(s):  
Cristiane Marangom ◽  
Viviani Souza Peruchi ◽  
Marta Assumpção de Andrada e Silva ◽  
Irene Queiroz Marchesan ◽  
Léslie Piccolotto Ferreira

ABSTRACT Objective: to analyze the association between voice disorder and aspects related to breathing mode in children, according to sex. Methods: 250 children, aged six to nine years, attending a public school in São Paulo city, were selected. The collection consisted of spontaneously audio recorded speech samples. The breathing mode was evaluated for lip resting posture and nasal flow. Three audiologists performed the perceptual evaluation of the voice quality, with the help of GIRBAS scale. The results were associated using the chi-square test (p = 0.05). Results: 50.4% females and 49.6% males. As for the overall grade (G), 12.8% had voice disorder with respect to voice quality. In the breathing mode, 36.8% presented alterations in lip posture and 71.2%, in nasal flow. The associations between voice disorder and gender (p = 0.96), lip posture (p = 0.38) and nasal flow (p = 0.18) and between alterations in the nasal flow and sex (p = 0.449) were not confirmed. The association between lip posture and sex revealed significant differences in favor of males (p = 0.003). Conclusion: there was no statistically significant difference associating voice disorders with breathing mode (lip posture and nasal flow) and gender.


2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 206
Author(s):  
Margaret Jacobs ◽  
Leo Van Biene

Patients with psychogenic voice disorder (PVD), a disorder of voice in the absence of identifiable pathology, present a particular challenge to clinicians. Although the voice can usually be restored by the use of speech therapy, recurrences can only be prevented by psychotherapeutic intervention. Psychological factors have been long recognized as playing a role in these disorders, but the nature of this contribution has been unclear. Various conceptual frameworks have been used to understand this disorder. While for much of the last century, “conversion” has been seen as the primary process that underpins this disorder, little attention has been paid to the role of dissociation in this regard. This paper explores the utility of viewing PVD through a lens of Self. In so doing, PVD can be considered as a symptomatic expression of a compromised sense of Self which has its genesis in relational trauma and maladaptative defensive maneuvers. These are underpinned by complex dissociative processes which operate largely outside of conscious awareness. A clinical vignette demonstrates the utility of treating this disorder with both speech therapy techniques and a specific mode of psychotherapy, the Conversational Model, which is focused on the fostering of a sense of Self.  It will be shown that this perspective not only provides a clear view of the genesis of thisdisorder, but also describes a pathway for effective treatment.


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