• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.145-150
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• 2002

Background and Objectives : Patients with so-called 'functional voice disorders' who have structurally normal larynges and demonstrate muscle misuse in the larynx, and those with several interacting causes including habitual muscle tension, are probably better defined as having a 'muscle misuse voice disorder'. The purpose of this study was to analyze the voice and effectiveness of voice therapy in patients with functional voice disorders and to provide a guide for the treatment of functional voice disorder. Materials and Method : The records of 35 patients, presenting with functional voice disorder and receiving voice therapy during October, 2001 to September, 2002, were reviewed. Prior to voice therapy, the stroboscopic examination of their larynx, aerodynamic and acoustic analysis was done. The results of voice therapy were compared according to the patient's subjective, perceptual evaluation of voice, and maximal phonation time. Results : Patient's subjective, perceptual evaluation, and maximal phonation time showed superior results after voice therapy. Conclusion : The result of this study indicates that voice therapy is an effective treatment method of patients with functional voice disorder, especially muscular tension dysphonia.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.63-69
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• 2013

This study attempted to investigate the characteristics of Phonation Threshold Pressure and Phonation Threshold Airflow of Patients who have Functional voice disorder. 50 subjects participated in study (32 subjects were patients who had functional voice disorders and 20 subjects were normal adults). The PAS (Phonatory aerodynamic system, model 6600, KAY electronics, Inc.) was used to measure the data and to do the analysis. Data from the Phonation Threshold Pressure was measured using voicing efficiency of the PAS protocol. Data from the Phonation Threshold Airflow was measured using Maximum Sustained Phonation of the PAS protocol. Those were used because of the ease of phonation. The results of this study showed that the differences in Phonation Threshold Pressure and Phonation Threshold Airflow between patients who had functional voice disorder and normal adults could be significant index. Patients who had functional voice disorder showed more higher figures than normal adults. These results suggest that Phonation Threshold Pressure and Phonation Threshold Airflow are very useful in diagnosing the voice disorder. The measured data also provided useful information for diagnosing patients with vocal fold diseases.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.71-78
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• 2017

Voice disorder is classified into three categories, structural, neurogenic and functional dysphonia. Neurogenic dysphonia refers to a disruption in the nerves controlling the larynx. Common examples of this include complete or partial vocal cord paralysis, spasmodic dysphonia. Also it occurs as part of an underlying neurologic condition such as Parkinson's disease, myasthenia gravis, Lou Gehrig's disease or disorder of the central nervous system that causes involuntary movement of the vocal folds during voice production. Functional dysphonia is a voice disorder in the absence of structual or neurogenic laryngeal characteristics. A near consensus exist that Muscle tension dysphonia (MTD) is functional voice disorder wherein hyperfunctional laryngeal muscle activity whereas Spasmodic dysphonia (SD) is neurogenic, action-induced focal laryngeal dystonia including several subtype. Both Adductor type spasmodic dysphonia (AdSD) and MTD may be associated with excessive supraglottic contraction and compensation, resulting in a strained voice quality with spastic voice breaks. It makes these two disorders extremely difficult to differentiate based on clinical interpretation alone. Because treatment for AdSD and MTD are quite different, correct diagnosis is important. Clinician should be aware of the specific vocal characteristics of each disease to improve therapeutic outcome.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.133-138
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• 2014

This study attempted to investigate the validation of Phonation Threshold Power of Patients who have Functional voice disorder. 50 subjects participated in the study (32 subjects were patients who had functional voice disorders and 20 subjects were normal adults). The PAS (Phonatory aerodynamic system, model 6600, KAY electronics, Inc.) was used to measure the data and to do the analysis. Data from the Phonation Threshold Power was measured multiplying Phonation Threshold Pressure and Phonation Threshold Airflow. Phonation Threshold Pressure and Phonation Threshold Airflow were measured by the PAS protocol. Those were used because of the ease of phonation. The results of this study showed that the differences in Phonation Threshold Power between patients who had functional voice disorder and normal adults could become a significant index. Patients who had functional voice disorder showed more higher figures than normal adults. The results of study showed that Phonation threshold Power is more sensitive than Phonation Threshold Pressure and Phonation Threshold Airflow. The measured data also provided useful information for diagnosing patients with vocal fold.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.86-89
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• 2014

Functional dysphonia (FD) is a voice disorder in the absence of structural or neurologic laryngeal pathology. FD is not a single disease but a disease entity. Therefore several voice disorders, which have completely different pathogenesis, are included in this category. The first step of treatment of FD is differentiating patient's voice symptoms from other organic voice disorders and other functional voice problems. Several different treatment modalities are included in the managements of FD. Voice therapy is in charge of the main role in treatment of FD. Medical treatment is also necessary when patient has general problems which would affect voice production. Vocal folds mucosal lesions can cause FD even the lesion is minor. In this case proper surgical intervention helps to improve the symptom of FD. Psychiatric consultation should be considered when the patient has psychological problems.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.111-116
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to analyze the association between self-reported voice problems and voice disorders in the Korean adult population. Data were collected from the 4th Korea National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (2008) from 3,135 subjects (1,310 men and 1,825 women) aged 19 years and older. Multi-nominal logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between self-reported voice problems and voice disorders in the Korean adult population. Adjusting for covariates (age, sex, education level, job, smoking, alcohol drinking, thyroid disorders, pain and discomfort during the last 2 weeks), self-reported voice problems included independently associated functional voice disorders (OR=4.70, 95% CI: 3.14-7.03) and organic voice disorders (OR=3.89, 95% CI: 1.57-9.65). The results of the present study verified that self-reported voice problems are valuable indicators for voice disorders. Further research is needed to ascertain the effect of self-reported voice problems on voice disorder in adults.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.67-76
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to compare professional (Pro) and non-professional (Non-pro) voice users with voice disorders in self-reporting voice evaluation using Korean-Voice Handicap Index (K-VHI) and Korean-Voice Related Quality of Life (K-VRQOL). In addition, those were compared by voice quality and voice disorder type. 94 Pro and 106 Non-pro were asked to fill out the K-VHI and K-VRQOL, perceptually evaluated on GRBAS scales, and divided into three types of voice disorders (functional, organic and neurologic) by an experienced speech-language pathologist and an otolaryngologist. The results showed that the functional (F) and physical (P) scores of K-VHI in Pro group were significantly higher than those in Non-pro group. As the voice quality evaluated by G scale got worse, the scores of all aspects except emotional (E) of K-VHI and social-emotional (SE) of K-VRQOL were higher. All scores of K-VHI and K-VRQOL in neurologic voice disorders were significantly higher than those in functional and organic voice disorders. In conclusion, professional voice users are more sensitive to their functional and physical handicap resulted by their voice problems and that goes double for the patients with severe and neurologic voice disorders.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.119-122
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• 2022

Functional aphonia is a disease in which normal vocal ability is suddenly lost. When voice therapy is started at an early stage, the prognosis is good. However, if the functional aphonia persists for a long time, there is a possibility that the voice disorder may become fixed, though reports of these characteristics are rare. The authors experienced a patient with functional aphonia that occurred in adolescence and lasted for 7 months and reported the result of treatment.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.125-132
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• 2011

Studies on the risk factors of voice disorders in Korean adults are rare. I evaluated the association between the duration of self-reported voice problem and voice disorders in Korean adults. Data were from the 2008 Korea National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey. Subjects were 3,135 people (1,310 men and 1,825 women) aged 19 years and older. Multi-nominal logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between the duration of self-reported voice problem and voice disorders. The prevalence of self-reported voice problems was 5.9% among Korean adults. Adjusting for covariates (age, sex, education level, length of employment, tobacco consumption, alcohol consumption, thyroid disorders, pain and discomfort during the last two weeks), self-reported voice problems lasting longer than three weeks were independently associated with functional voice disorders (OR=5.30, 95% CI: 3.30-8.50) and organic voice disorders (OR=4.84, 95% CI: 1.82-12.89). Self-reported voice problems in the past three weeks were significantly associated with functional voice disorders (OR=3.64, 95% CI: 1.84-7.19), but not significantly associated with organic voice disorders. Self-reported voice problems are prevalent among adults. This study highlights that self-perception of a voice problem for more than three weeks is related to functional voice disorders and organic voice disorders.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.12-14
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• 2019

Functional dysphonia (FD) is a disease entity which includes various voice disorders in the absence of structural or neurologic laryngeal pathology. Muscle tension dysphonia (MTD), psychogenic dysphonia are representative FD with completely different pathogenesis. Therefore there is no standard treatment modality for FD, the first step of treatment of FD is differentiating patient's voice symptoms from other organic voice disorders and other functional voice problems. MTD is a functional voice disorder caused by hyperfunction of intrinsic and extrinsic laryngeal musculature. Symptoms include increased vocal effort, roughness, fatigue and odynophonia. First line for MTD is indirect or direct voice therapy. Unfortunately, many patients with MTD improve with voice therapy alone. For these patients, various modalities tried; lidocaine application, surgical excision of the false vocal folds, and botulinum toxin injection, etc. Botulinum toxin injections are widely used in the field of otolaryngology, especially for spasmodic dysphonia. However, its use in FD or MTD has only been described in few case reports. The aim of this lecture is to evaluate the feasibility of botulinum toxin injection for FD, especially MTD.