• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.123-133
• /
• 2010

Speech language pathologists depend on their voice for livelihood and are high risk group of voice disorders. But there are few studies on their prevalence of voice symptoms and voice handicap index. This study aimed to evaluate prevalence of voice symptoms and Korean voice handicap index with 86 speech language pathologists and 90 individuals employed in other occupations. We analyzed self-reported voice symptoms and voice handicap index using a questionnaire for this study. The results showed that the prevalence of voice symptoms of speech language pathologists is 60.5% and voice handicap index scores of speech language pathologists group are significantly higher than those of control group in physical and total score. And we found that alcohol history was a risk factor for voice symptoms. These findings indicate that special vocal hygiene program for speech language pathologists and follow up studies for comparisons of prevalence of voice symptoms and voice handicap index with other professional voice users are necessary.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
• /
• v.4 no.3
• /
• pp.151-159
• /
• 2012

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of voice disorders and the Korean voice handicap index in the elderly. For this study, 169 elderly performed two types of questionnaires and vowel /a/ prolongation. Self-reported voice symptoms and the Korean voice handicap index were analyzed and acoustic voice evaluation was performed by MDVP. The results showed that the prevalence of voice disorders in the elderly are significantly higher than that of adults in self-reports. In acoustic evaluation, 32.2% of the male elderly and 40.9% of the female elderly exceeded the thresholds of Jitter (%), Shimmer (%) and NHR. In addition, Korean voice handicap index scores of the female elderly are significantly higher than those of female adults. These findings indicate the high frequency of voice disorders in the elderly and the need to focus on this group. Additional studies on the voice related quality of life for the elderly are needed.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
• /
• v.5 no.4
• /
• pp.53-61
• /
• 2013

Voice disorders are most common in female teachers due to work-related vocal demands; however, only a few studies tried to evaluate individual risk factors with work-related risk factors to diagnose voice disorders. This study evaluated sixty-seven female elementary teachers (36 with voice disorders and 31 without voice disorders) to compare their vocal misuse, overuse, and vocal hygiene behaviors. Total Voice Handicap Index scores and VHI subscale (P, E, F) scores were not significantly different between two groups (p>0.05) and there was no relationship between VHI and acoustic measures (p>0.05). Loud talking, talking in noisy situations, and excessive speaking were significantly more frequent in female teachers with voice disorders (p<0.05) and thereby these overuse and misuse behavioral patterns were identified as risk factors to develop voice disorders in female teachers. Also, hydration was the most common behavior for vocal hygiene when experiencing vocal fatigue; however, hydration with hot green tea or coffee and throat clearing were often misused for vocal hygiene. This study found that female teachers from both groups presented higher voice handicap regardless of voice disorders. This study suggests a multidimensional voice assessment protocol is required to reflect voice problems in teachers and a vocal education program may be important to improve vocal hygiene knowledge and behavioral changes in female teachers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.89-95
• /
• 2008

Subjective voice evaluation is necessary and important to assess the voice disorders in addition to objective voice evaluation. Subjective voice evaluation is divided into examiner and examinee subjective voice assessment. The examiner assessment represents perceptual judgment to the patient's voice such as GRBAS scale, Buffalo voice profile, consensus auditory perceptual evaluation of voice (CAPE- V) and so on. The examinee assessment consists of indirect method including voice handicap index (VHI), voice outcome survey (VOS), voice symptom scale (VoiSS), voice related quality of life (V-ROQL) and direct method which is called patient's self-subjective voice rating. This review article describes a general rule, advantages and pitfalls about GRBAS scale, VHI and patient's self-subjective voice rating which are presently most representative voice assessment tools.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.115-121
• /
• 2014

This paper investigates the relationship between acoustic characteristics and voice handicap index for 29 males with esophageal speakers. Acoustic characteristics were measured by using a sustained vowel /a/ three times. The stable vocalization for 2 seconds was analyzed by MDVP program. Specifically, relationships between four VHI scores (total, functional, physical, and emotional) and three acoustic characteristics (jitter, shimmer, and NHR) were investigated using the Pearson correlation coefficient. As results, we found no relationship between NHR and VHI scores. However, both jitter and shimmer had statistically significant correlations with all four VHI scores. This research will contribute to establishing a baseline related to speech characteristics in voice rehabilitation with esophageal speakers. Further research could be done to examine the overall quality of life survey, which is widely used as a subjective measure about voice for patients with esophageal speakers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.133-137
• /
• 2006

Objectives : The purpose of this paper is to know the efficacy of voice therapy for vocal fold nodules in children. Materials and Methods : Sixty two patients with vocal nodules(46 boys and 16 girls) were retrospectively reviewed. Age ranged from 4 to 15 years with mean age of 8 years. Questionnaire survey was carried out with voice handicap index, at pretherapy and post-therapy(3 months and 5 years after voice therapy). Results : Sixty two percent of the patients showed improvement by voice therapy. Twenty five patients continued education at home after voice therapy, but only eight childrens were included this group in pre-school aged children. Voice handicap index was improved in 3 months and 5 years after voice therapy. In contrast, pre-school children group showed slight aggravation in 5 years, especially in emotional subdomain. Conclusion : Voice therapy is effective primary treatment in children with vocal fold nodules. Different result between preschool aged children and school aged group shows needs for age specific approach of voice therapy.

• Speech Sciences
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.111-125
• /
• 2007

It is important to examine patients' subjective evaluation as well as objective measures and clinician's rating to assess voice disorders. This study aimed to evaluate validity and reliability of Korean-version of Voice Handicap Index (KVHI) and Voice-Related Quality of Life (KVQOL) with 113 adults with voice disorders and 111 normal adults. Content validity was verified by three experienced speech-language pathologists. Concurrent validity was revealed by examining the correlation among KVHI, KVQOL, and Voice Rating Scale as well as item discrimination coefficients. Total scores of KVHI and KVQOL of adults with voice disorders were significantly different from those of normal adults. Test-retest reliability and internal consistencies were significantly high in both KVHI and KVQOL. Correlations among scores of each subscale and total score were also significantly high in each tool. The study revealed that KVHI and KVQOL are suitable tools to be used in clinics and research areas in Korea, which can subjectively evaluate the effects of voice disorders on daily life as well as on quality of life.

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

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.47-54
• /
• 2015

The objectives of this study are to research the frequency of depression symptom in patients with voice disorders and to investigate parameters associated with depression from voice evaluation. A hundred ninety six patients(106 males and 90 females) who had been diagnosed with voice disorders first in their lifetime were selected. All the patients were examined by laryngeal stroboscopy. For depression and voice study, personal interview, acoustic and aerodynamic analysis, voice handicap index(VHI), reflux symptom index(RSI), and beck depression index(BDI) were done respectively. Mild to severe BDI were seen in 26.2%(52 patients) of the whole patients. A BDI mean score of female patients was $8.8{\pm}7.5$ which was higher than that of male patients($5.6{\pm}6.6$), the difference observed being statistically significant(p<0.001). In the acoustic analysis, the score of sent_duration parameter was increasing in the patients with depression, which was significantly higher than the score of the patients without depression(p<0.05). In the addition, the scores of VHI and RSI were higher in the patients with depression(p<0.001). Our findings suggest that the prevalence of depression in patients with voice disorders is related to female, speaking velocity, and self-questionnaire. This result can be used for psychologically based approach to therapy.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.142-145
• /
• 2008

Background and Object: The aim of this study is to evaluate the change of patient's subjective voice handicap index (VHI) and acoustic parameters before and after laryngeal microsurgery for benign vocal cord disease. Materials and Method: We analyzed 78 patients who received laryngeal microsurgery for benign vocal cord disease from January 2004 to February 2007 retrospectively. There were 28 vocal polyp, 40 vocal nodule, 5 intracordal cyst and 5 Reinke's edema. Jitter, shimmer, harmony to noise ratio (HNR) were analyzed before surgery and 2-3months after surgery using the Doctor's speech science program. The voice handicap index introduced by the Pittsburgh Voice Center was used to examine patient's subjective change of voice quality. Results: Acoustic parameters of jitter, shimmer and HNR were improved in patients with vocal polyp and vocal nodule after surgery. The acoustic parameters were not improved in patients with Reinke's edema, statistically. Only jitter was improved significantly in patients with intracordal cyst (p<0.05). The VHI was significantly improved after surgery. The change of jitter and shimmer was significantly correlated with the change of VHI after surgery. Conclusion: The acoustic parameters and VHI were significantly improved in patients with benign vocal disease after laryngeal microsurgery.