Kristine Tanner - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Kristine Tanner

Research paper thumbnail of Three Treatments for Teachers With Voice Disorders: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 2003

Research paper thumbnail of Spectral Moments of the Long-term Average Spectrum: Sensitive Indices of Voice Change After Therapy?

Research paper thumbnail of Voice Amplification Versus Vocal Hygiene Instruction for Teachers With Voice Disorders: A Treatment Outcomes Study

Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 2002

Research paper thumbnail of Swallowing Disorders in Sjögren’s Syndrome: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Effects on Quality of Life

Dysphagia, 2015

This epidemiological investigation examined the prevalence, risk factors, and quality-of-life eff... more This epidemiological investigation examined the prevalence, risk factors, and quality-of-life effects of swallowing disorders in Sjögren's syndrome (SS). One hundred and one individuals with primary or secondary SS (94 females, 7 males; mean age 59.4, SD = 14.1) were interviewed regarding the presence, nature, and impact of swallowing disorders and symptoms. Associations among swallowing disorders and symptoms, select medical and social history factors, SS disease severity, and the M.D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) and Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) were examined. The prevalence of a current self-reported swallowing disorder was 64.4 %. SS disease severity was the strongest predictor of swallowing disorders, including significant associations with the following swallow symptoms: taking smaller bites, thick mucus in the throat, difficulty placing food in the mouth, and wheezing while eating (p < .05). Additional swallowing disorder risk factors included the presence of a self-reported voice disorder, esophageal reflux, current exposure to secondary tobacco smoke, frequent neck or throat tension, frequent throat clearing, chronic post-nasal drip, and stomach or duodenal ulcers. Swallowing disorders did not differ on the basis of primary or secondary SS. Swallowing disorders and specific swallowing symptoms were uniquely associated with reduced quality of life. Among those with swallowing disorders, 42 % sought treatment, with approximately half reporting improvement. Patient-perceived swallowing disorders are relatively common in SS and increase with disease severity. Specific swallowing symptoms uniquely and significantly reduce swallow and health-related quality of life, indicating the need for increased identification and management of dysphagia in this population.

Research paper thumbnail of Laryngeal Desiccation Challenge and Nebulized Isotonic Saline in Healthy Male Singers and Nonsingers: Effects on Acoustic, Aerodynamic, and Self-Perceived Effort and Dryness Measures

Journal of Voice, 2015

This study examined the effects of a laryngeal desiccation challenge and nebulized isotonic salin... more This study examined the effects of a laryngeal desiccation challenge and nebulized isotonic saline on voice production in young, healthy male singers and nonsingers. This is a prospective, double-blind, within-subjects experimental design. Participants included 10 male university-trained singers and 10 age-matched nonsingers (mean age, 21.8 years; range, 18-26 years) who underwent a 30-minute oral breathing laryngeal desiccation challenge using medical grade dry air (<1% relative humidity) on two occasions in consecutive weeks. After the challenge, participants received either 3 mL or 9 mL of nebulized isotonic saline (0.9% Na(+)Cl(-)); order of administration was counterbalanced. Phonation threshold pressure (PTP), the cepstral spectral index of dysphonia (CSID) for sustained vowels and connected speech, and self-perceived vocal effort, mouth dryness, and throat dryness were measured at each recording (baseline, after challenge, and at 5, 35, and 65 minutes after treatment). Self-perceived effort and dryness measures increased (worsened) after desiccation challenge and decreased (improved) after nebulized treatment (P < 0.05). No consistent changes were observed for PTP or CSID over time. Overall, singers demonstrated significantly lower vocal effort and CSID as compared with nonsingers. Young, vocally healthy men may not experience physiologic changes in voice production associated with laryngeal desiccation and nebulized saline treatments; however, self-reported increases in vocal effort which are associated with dryness symptoms might improve with nebulized treatments. Future hydration research should consider age and sex variables.

Research paper thumbnail of Title: Risk and protective factors for spasmodic dysphonia: A case-control investigation Authors

Research paper thumbnail of Descriptive Epidemiology of Voice Disorders in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Quality of Life Burden

Journal of voice : official journal of the Voice Foundation, Jan 14, 2015

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease which may adversely affect phonat... more Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease which may adversely affect phonatory function. This study aimed to establish the prevalence, risks, and quality of life effects of voice disorders in RA. This is a cross-sectional, descriptive epidemiology study. One hundred individuals with RA underwent a telephone interview to determine the frequency, severity, risks associated with, and quality of life burden of voice disorders. The results were analyzed using summary statistics, frequencies, chi-square tests, regression analysis, and risk ratios (P < 0.05). Thirty-five percent of participants with RA reported a current voice disorder which was chronic and long-standing in most cases. The prevalence of a current voice disorder did not significantly differ across age, sex, medication use, voice use patterns, medical history, or RA severity. These chronic voice disorders produced significant adverse effects on both voice-related quality of life and short form 36 hea...

Research paper thumbnail of The Quality of Life Burden Associated With Voice Disorders in Sjögren's Syndrome

The Annals of otology, rhinology, and laryngology, Jan 3, 2015

This study examined quality of life burden of voice disorders in Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Pat... more This study examined quality of life burden of voice disorders in Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Patients with SS (n = 101) completed interviews involving patient-reported histories of voice disorders, specific voice symptoms, SS disease severity, the Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL), and the general health-related quality of life Short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaires. Relationships among voice symptoms, disease severity, and quality-of-life measures were examined and compared with patient-reported voice disorders. Significant correlations were observed among voice symptoms, disease severity, V-RQOL, SF-36, and patient-reported voice disorders (P < .05). Patients with SS who reported a voice disorder experienced a greater burden on general quality of life as compared with those without voice disorders. Specific voice symptoms significantly correlated with reduced SF-36 scores included frequent throat-clearing, throat soreness, difficulty projecting, and vocal discomfort. Despit...

Research paper thumbnail of Nebulized isotonic saline improves voice production in Sjögren's syndrome

The Laryngoscope, Jan 17, 2015

This study examined the effects of a topical vocal fold hydration treatment on voice production o... more This study examined the effects of a topical vocal fold hydration treatment on voice production over time. Prospective, longitudinal, within-subjects A (baseline), B (treatment), A (withdrawal/reversal), B (treatment) experimental design. Eight individuals with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS), an autoimmune disease causing laryngeal dryness, completed an 8-week A-B-A-B experiment. Participants performed twice-daily audio recordings of connected speech and sustained vowels and then rated vocal effort, mouth dryness, and throat dryness. Two-week treatment phases introduced twice-daily 9-mL doses of nebulized isotonic saline (0.9% Na(+) Cl(-) ). Voice handicap and patient-based measures of SS disease severity were collected before and after each 2-week phase. Connected speech and sustained vowels were analyzed using the Cepstral Spectral Index of Dysphonia (CSID). Acoustic and patient-based ratings during each baseline and treatment phase were analyzed and compared. Baseline CSID a...

Research paper thumbnail of Voice symptoms and voice-related quality of life in college students

The Annals of otology, rhinology, and laryngology, 2013

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of voice disorders in college students an... more The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of voice disorders in college students and their effect on the students as shown by quality-of-life indicators. A cross-sectional survey was completed by 545 college students in 2012. The survey included 10 questions from the Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL), selected voice symptoms, and quality-of-life indicators of functional health and well-being based on the Short Form 36-item Health Survey (SF-36). Twenty-nine percent of the college students (mean age, 22.7 years) reported a history of a voice disorder. Hoarseness was the most prevalent voice symptom, but was not correlated with V-RQOL scores. A wobbly or shaky voice, throat dryness, vocal fatigue, and vocal effort explained a significant amount of variance on the social-emotional and physical domains of the V-RQOL index (p < 0.05). Voice symptoms limited emotional and physical functioning as indicated by SF-36 scores. Voice disorders significantly influence psych...

Research paper thumbnail of Risk and Protective Factors for Spasmodic Dysphonia: A Case-Control Investigation

Research paper thumbnail of Case-control study of risk factors for spasmodic dysphonia: A comparison with other voice disorders

Research paper thumbnail of Vocal function exercises for presbylaryngis: a multidimensional assessment of treatment outcomes

The Annals of otology, rhinology, and laryngology, 2010

Presbylaryngis, or aging of the larynx, can adversely affect vocal function and quality of life i... more Presbylaryngis, or aging of the larynx, can adversely affect vocal function and quality of life in the elderly. This preliminary investigation examined the effects of vocal function exercises, a physiologic voice therapy approach, as a primary treatment for presbylaryngis. Nine consecutive elderly patients with presbylaryngis (2 female, 7 male) underwent a 6-week course of voice therapy employing vocal function exercises. Pretherapy-versus-posttherapy comparisons were made of self-ratings of voice handicap and phonatory effort level, as well as auditory-perceptual voice assessments, acoustic analyses, and visual-perceptual evaluations of laryngeal images. After treatment, patients reported significant reductions on Voice Handicap Index scores, phonatory effort levels, and voice disorder severity. Blinded listeners rated the posttreatment voices as significantly less breathy and strained. However, comparison of pretreatment and posttreatment maximum phonation times, acoustic measures...

Research paper thumbnail of Spasmodic dysphonia: onset, course, socioemotional effects, and treatment response

The Annals of otology, rhinology, and laryngology, 2011

This investigation explored the onset, progression, socioemotional effects, and treatment outcome... more This investigation explored the onset, progression, socioemotional effects, and treatment outcomes of spasmodic dysphonia (SD). A cross-sectional epidemiological approach was used to examine questionnaire responses from 150 individuals with SD. Symptoms of SD (mean age at onset, 46 years) began gradually in 76% of cases and were progressive (ie, failed to plateau) in 34% of cases. Botulinum toxin A (Botox) helped to attenuate voice symptoms in 91% of cases; however, the scores on the Voice-Related Quality of Life questionnaire (V-RQOL) were not associated with this effect. The V-RQOL scores improved with time since symptom onset, independent of age and treatment. The patients with only SD experienced onset, course, and progression of symptoms similar to those of the patients with SD and coexisting vocal tremor. The symptoms of SD begin gradually and worsen over time. New evidence indicates that SD symptoms may continue to progress without plateau in at least a subset of patients. In...

Research paper thumbnail of Voice, Speech, and Laryngeal Features of Primary Sjogren's Syndrome

Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Voice disorders in Sjögren's syndrome: Prevalence and related risk factors

Research paper thumbnail of The Effects of Emotional Expression on Vibrato

Journal of Voice, 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of emotional expression on several acoust... more The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of emotional expression on several acoustic measures of vibrato, including its rate, extent, and steadiness. We hypothesized that singing a passage with emotional content would influence these variables. This study used a within-subjects, repeated-measures design. Singer performance under different conditions was analyzed. Ten graduate student singers (eight women, two men) completed a series of tasks including sustained sung vowels at several pitch and loudness levels, an assigned song that was judged to have relatively neutral emotion, and a personal selection that included passages of intense emotion. Vowel tokens were extracted from the recordings and averaged for each task. Dependent measures included the mean fundamental frequency (F0), mean intensity, frequency modulation (FM) rate, FM extent, and measures of FM rate and extent variability. The FM rate and extent were higher and the modulation variability was lower for the more emotional song than for the sustained vowels. Mean F0 and intensity were higher for the emotional song than for the neutral song. Singing an emotional passage influences acoustic features of vibrato when compared with isolated, sustained vowels. The wider dynamic and pitch ranges for emotional passages only partly explain vibrato differences between emotional and neutral singing.

Research paper thumbnail of Case-control study of risk factors for spasmodic dysphonia: A comparison with other voice disorders

Research paper thumbnail of Comparing nebulized water versus saline after laryngeal desiccation challenge in Sjögren's Syndrome

The Laryngoscope, 2013

This study examined the effects of a laryngeal desiccation challenge and two nebulized hydration ... more This study examined the effects of a laryngeal desiccation challenge and two nebulized hydration treatments on phonation threshold pressure (PTP), vocal effort, and throat dryness in patients with chronic airway dryness. Double-blind, within-subjects crossover design. Eleven individuals with Primary Sjögren&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s Syndrome received a 15-minute laryngeal desiccation challenge (breathing dry air-&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;1% relative humidity-transorally), followed by nebulized isotonic saline or nebulized water treatments (3 mL) on 2 consecutive weeks. PTP, as well as self-perceived vocal effort, mouth, and throat dryness were assessed before and after the desiccation challenge, and at 5, 35, and 65 minutes after the nebulized treatment. The laryngeal desiccation challenge produced statistically significant increases in PTP, vocal effort, and mouth and throat dryness (P &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.05). Nebulized saline produced greater-but not statistically significant-treatment effects than water. PTP was more correlated with throat dryness than vocal effort. Patients with chronic airway dryness experienced phonatory changes following dry air exposure. Nebulized isotonic saline may offset this effect. Future research should explore dose-response relationships among dry air exposure, nebulized treatments, voice change, and self-perceived throat dryness.

Research paper thumbnail of Gender differences affecting vocal health of women in vocally demanding careers

Logopedics Phoniatrics Vocology, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of Three Treatments for Teachers With Voice Disorders: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 2003

Research paper thumbnail of Spectral Moments of the Long-term Average Spectrum: Sensitive Indices of Voice Change After Therapy?

Research paper thumbnail of Voice Amplification Versus Vocal Hygiene Instruction for Teachers With Voice Disorders: A Treatment Outcomes Study

Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 2002

Research paper thumbnail of Swallowing Disorders in Sjögren’s Syndrome: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Effects on Quality of Life

Dysphagia, 2015

This epidemiological investigation examined the prevalence, risk factors, and quality-of-life eff... more This epidemiological investigation examined the prevalence, risk factors, and quality-of-life effects of swallowing disorders in Sjögren&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s syndrome (SS). One hundred and one individuals with primary or secondary SS (94 females, 7 males; mean age 59.4, SD = 14.1) were interviewed regarding the presence, nature, and impact of swallowing disorders and symptoms. Associations among swallowing disorders and symptoms, select medical and social history factors, SS disease severity, and the M.D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) and Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) were examined. The prevalence of a current self-reported swallowing disorder was 64.4 %. SS disease severity was the strongest predictor of swallowing disorders, including significant associations with the following swallow symptoms: taking smaller bites, thick mucus in the throat, difficulty placing food in the mouth, and wheezing while eating (p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; .05). Additional swallowing disorder risk factors included the presence of a self-reported voice disorder, esophageal reflux, current exposure to secondary tobacco smoke, frequent neck or throat tension, frequent throat clearing, chronic post-nasal drip, and stomach or duodenal ulcers. Swallowing disorders did not differ on the basis of primary or secondary SS. Swallowing disorders and specific swallowing symptoms were uniquely associated with reduced quality of life. Among those with swallowing disorders, 42 % sought treatment, with approximately half reporting improvement. Patient-perceived swallowing disorders are relatively common in SS and increase with disease severity. Specific swallowing symptoms uniquely and significantly reduce swallow and health-related quality of life, indicating the need for increased identification and management of dysphagia in this population.

Research paper thumbnail of Laryngeal Desiccation Challenge and Nebulized Isotonic Saline in Healthy Male Singers and Nonsingers: Effects on Acoustic, Aerodynamic, and Self-Perceived Effort and Dryness Measures

Journal of Voice, 2015

This study examined the effects of a laryngeal desiccation challenge and nebulized isotonic salin... more This study examined the effects of a laryngeal desiccation challenge and nebulized isotonic saline on voice production in young, healthy male singers and nonsingers. This is a prospective, double-blind, within-subjects experimental design. Participants included 10 male university-trained singers and 10 age-matched nonsingers (mean age, 21.8 years; range, 18-26 years) who underwent a 30-minute oral breathing laryngeal desiccation challenge using medical grade dry air (&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;1% relative humidity) on two occasions in consecutive weeks. After the challenge, participants received either 3 mL or 9 mL of nebulized isotonic saline (0.9% Na(+)Cl(-)); order of administration was counterbalanced. Phonation threshold pressure (PTP), the cepstral spectral index of dysphonia (CSID) for sustained vowels and connected speech, and self-perceived vocal effort, mouth dryness, and throat dryness were measured at each recording (baseline, after challenge, and at 5, 35, and 65 minutes after treatment). Self-perceived effort and dryness measures increased (worsened) after desiccation challenge and decreased (improved) after nebulized treatment (P &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.05). No consistent changes were observed for PTP or CSID over time. Overall, singers demonstrated significantly lower vocal effort and CSID as compared with nonsingers. Young, vocally healthy men may not experience physiologic changes in voice production associated with laryngeal desiccation and nebulized saline treatments; however, self-reported increases in vocal effort which are associated with dryness symptoms might improve with nebulized treatments. Future hydration research should consider age and sex variables.

Research paper thumbnail of Title: Risk and protective factors for spasmodic dysphonia: A case-control investigation Authors

Research paper thumbnail of Descriptive Epidemiology of Voice Disorders in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Quality of Life Burden

Journal of voice : official journal of the Voice Foundation, Jan 14, 2015

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease which may adversely affect phonat... more Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease which may adversely affect phonatory function. This study aimed to establish the prevalence, risks, and quality of life effects of voice disorders in RA. This is a cross-sectional, descriptive epidemiology study. One hundred individuals with RA underwent a telephone interview to determine the frequency, severity, risks associated with, and quality of life burden of voice disorders. The results were analyzed using summary statistics, frequencies, chi-square tests, regression analysis, and risk ratios (P < 0.05). Thirty-five percent of participants with RA reported a current voice disorder which was chronic and long-standing in most cases. The prevalence of a current voice disorder did not significantly differ across age, sex, medication use, voice use patterns, medical history, or RA severity. These chronic voice disorders produced significant adverse effects on both voice-related quality of life and short form 36 hea...

Research paper thumbnail of The Quality of Life Burden Associated With Voice Disorders in Sjögren's Syndrome

The Annals of otology, rhinology, and laryngology, Jan 3, 2015

This study examined quality of life burden of voice disorders in Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Pat... more This study examined quality of life burden of voice disorders in Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Patients with SS (n = 101) completed interviews involving patient-reported histories of voice disorders, specific voice symptoms, SS disease severity, the Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL), and the general health-related quality of life Short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaires. Relationships among voice symptoms, disease severity, and quality-of-life measures were examined and compared with patient-reported voice disorders. Significant correlations were observed among voice symptoms, disease severity, V-RQOL, SF-36, and patient-reported voice disorders (P < .05). Patients with SS who reported a voice disorder experienced a greater burden on general quality of life as compared with those without voice disorders. Specific voice symptoms significantly correlated with reduced SF-36 scores included frequent throat-clearing, throat soreness, difficulty projecting, and vocal discomfort. Despit...

Research paper thumbnail of Nebulized isotonic saline improves voice production in Sjögren's syndrome

The Laryngoscope, Jan 17, 2015

This study examined the effects of a topical vocal fold hydration treatment on voice production o... more This study examined the effects of a topical vocal fold hydration treatment on voice production over time. Prospective, longitudinal, within-subjects A (baseline), B (treatment), A (withdrawal/reversal), B (treatment) experimental design. Eight individuals with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS), an autoimmune disease causing laryngeal dryness, completed an 8-week A-B-A-B experiment. Participants performed twice-daily audio recordings of connected speech and sustained vowels and then rated vocal effort, mouth dryness, and throat dryness. Two-week treatment phases introduced twice-daily 9-mL doses of nebulized isotonic saline (0.9% Na(+) Cl(-) ). Voice handicap and patient-based measures of SS disease severity were collected before and after each 2-week phase. Connected speech and sustained vowels were analyzed using the Cepstral Spectral Index of Dysphonia (CSID). Acoustic and patient-based ratings during each baseline and treatment phase were analyzed and compared. Baseline CSID a...

Research paper thumbnail of Voice symptoms and voice-related quality of life in college students

The Annals of otology, rhinology, and laryngology, 2013

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of voice disorders in college students an... more The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of voice disorders in college students and their effect on the students as shown by quality-of-life indicators. A cross-sectional survey was completed by 545 college students in 2012. The survey included 10 questions from the Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL), selected voice symptoms, and quality-of-life indicators of functional health and well-being based on the Short Form 36-item Health Survey (SF-36). Twenty-nine percent of the college students (mean age, 22.7 years) reported a history of a voice disorder. Hoarseness was the most prevalent voice symptom, but was not correlated with V-RQOL scores. A wobbly or shaky voice, throat dryness, vocal fatigue, and vocal effort explained a significant amount of variance on the social-emotional and physical domains of the V-RQOL index (p < 0.05). Voice symptoms limited emotional and physical functioning as indicated by SF-36 scores. Voice disorders significantly influence psych...

Research paper thumbnail of Risk and Protective Factors for Spasmodic Dysphonia: A Case-Control Investigation

Research paper thumbnail of Case-control study of risk factors for spasmodic dysphonia: A comparison with other voice disorders

Research paper thumbnail of Vocal function exercises for presbylaryngis: a multidimensional assessment of treatment outcomes

The Annals of otology, rhinology, and laryngology, 2010

Presbylaryngis, or aging of the larynx, can adversely affect vocal function and quality of life i... more Presbylaryngis, or aging of the larynx, can adversely affect vocal function and quality of life in the elderly. This preliminary investigation examined the effects of vocal function exercises, a physiologic voice therapy approach, as a primary treatment for presbylaryngis. Nine consecutive elderly patients with presbylaryngis (2 female, 7 male) underwent a 6-week course of voice therapy employing vocal function exercises. Pretherapy-versus-posttherapy comparisons were made of self-ratings of voice handicap and phonatory effort level, as well as auditory-perceptual voice assessments, acoustic analyses, and visual-perceptual evaluations of laryngeal images. After treatment, patients reported significant reductions on Voice Handicap Index scores, phonatory effort levels, and voice disorder severity. Blinded listeners rated the posttreatment voices as significantly less breathy and strained. However, comparison of pretreatment and posttreatment maximum phonation times, acoustic measures...

Research paper thumbnail of Spasmodic dysphonia: onset, course, socioemotional effects, and treatment response

The Annals of otology, rhinology, and laryngology, 2011

This investigation explored the onset, progression, socioemotional effects, and treatment outcome... more This investigation explored the onset, progression, socioemotional effects, and treatment outcomes of spasmodic dysphonia (SD). A cross-sectional epidemiological approach was used to examine questionnaire responses from 150 individuals with SD. Symptoms of SD (mean age at onset, 46 years) began gradually in 76% of cases and were progressive (ie, failed to plateau) in 34% of cases. Botulinum toxin A (Botox) helped to attenuate voice symptoms in 91% of cases; however, the scores on the Voice-Related Quality of Life questionnaire (V-RQOL) were not associated with this effect. The V-RQOL scores improved with time since symptom onset, independent of age and treatment. The patients with only SD experienced onset, course, and progression of symptoms similar to those of the patients with SD and coexisting vocal tremor. The symptoms of SD begin gradually and worsen over time. New evidence indicates that SD symptoms may continue to progress without plateau in at least a subset of patients. In...

Research paper thumbnail of Voice, Speech, and Laryngeal Features of Primary Sjogren's Syndrome

Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Voice disorders in Sjögren's syndrome: Prevalence and related risk factors

Research paper thumbnail of The Effects of Emotional Expression on Vibrato

Journal of Voice, 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of emotional expression on several acoust... more The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of emotional expression on several acoustic measures of vibrato, including its rate, extent, and steadiness. We hypothesized that singing a passage with emotional content would influence these variables. This study used a within-subjects, repeated-measures design. Singer performance under different conditions was analyzed. Ten graduate student singers (eight women, two men) completed a series of tasks including sustained sung vowels at several pitch and loudness levels, an assigned song that was judged to have relatively neutral emotion, and a personal selection that included passages of intense emotion. Vowel tokens were extracted from the recordings and averaged for each task. Dependent measures included the mean fundamental frequency (F0), mean intensity, frequency modulation (FM) rate, FM extent, and measures of FM rate and extent variability. The FM rate and extent were higher and the modulation variability was lower for the more emotional song than for the sustained vowels. Mean F0 and intensity were higher for the emotional song than for the neutral song. Singing an emotional passage influences acoustic features of vibrato when compared with isolated, sustained vowels. The wider dynamic and pitch ranges for emotional passages only partly explain vibrato differences between emotional and neutral singing.

Research paper thumbnail of Case-control study of risk factors for spasmodic dysphonia: A comparison with other voice disorders

Research paper thumbnail of Comparing nebulized water versus saline after laryngeal desiccation challenge in Sjögren's Syndrome

The Laryngoscope, 2013

This study examined the effects of a laryngeal desiccation challenge and two nebulized hydration ... more This study examined the effects of a laryngeal desiccation challenge and two nebulized hydration treatments on phonation threshold pressure (PTP), vocal effort, and throat dryness in patients with chronic airway dryness. Double-blind, within-subjects crossover design. Eleven individuals with Primary Sjögren&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s Syndrome received a 15-minute laryngeal desiccation challenge (breathing dry air-&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;1% relative humidity-transorally), followed by nebulized isotonic saline or nebulized water treatments (3 mL) on 2 consecutive weeks. PTP, as well as self-perceived vocal effort, mouth, and throat dryness were assessed before and after the desiccation challenge, and at 5, 35, and 65 minutes after the nebulized treatment. The laryngeal desiccation challenge produced statistically significant increases in PTP, vocal effort, and mouth and throat dryness (P &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.05). Nebulized saline produced greater-but not statistically significant-treatment effects than water. PTP was more correlated with throat dryness than vocal effort. Patients with chronic airway dryness experienced phonatory changes following dry air exposure. Nebulized isotonic saline may offset this effect. Future research should explore dose-response relationships among dry air exposure, nebulized treatments, voice change, and self-perceived throat dryness.

Research paper thumbnail of Gender differences affecting vocal health of women in vocally demanding careers

Logopedics Phoniatrics Vocology, 2011