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Purpose: The aim of this study is to determine the effect of background noise on the intelligibility of dysphonic speech and to examine the relationship between intelligibility in noise and an acoustic measure of dysphonia--cepstral peak prominence (CPP). Method: A study of speech perception was conducted using speech samples from 6 adult speakers with typical voice and 6 adult speakers with dysphonia. Speech samples were presented to 30 listeners with typical hearing in 3 noise conditions: quiet, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)+5, and SNR+0. Intelligibility scores were obtained via orthographic transcription as the percentage of correctly identified words. Speech samples were acoustically analyzed using CPP, and the correlation between the CPP measurements and intelligibility scores was examined. Results: The intelligibility of both typical and dysphonic speech was reduced as the level of background noise increased. The reduction was significantly greater in dysphonic speech. A strong correlation was noted between CPP and intelligibility score at SNR+0. Conclusions: Dysphonic speech is relatively harder to understand in the presence of background noise as compared with typical speech. CPP may be a useful predictor of this intelligibility deficit. Future work is needed to confirm these findings with a larger number of speakers and speech materials with known predictability.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the role of one of these models in the field of voice pathology and compare its performance in distinguishing the perceived dysphonia level. Methods: Demographic information, voice self-assessments, and acoustic measurements related to a sample of 50 adult dysphonic outpatients were presented to ChatGPT and Perplexity AI chatbots, which were interrogated for the perceived dysphonia level. Results: The agreement between the auditory-perceptual assessment by experts and ChatGPT and Perplexity AI chatbots, as determined by Cohen's Kappa, was not statistically significant (p = 0.429). There was also a low positive correlation (rs = 0.30, p = 0.03) between the diagnosis made by ChatGPT and Perplexity AI chatbots (rs = 0.30, p = 0.03). Conclusion: It seems that AI could not play a vital role in helping the voice care teams determine the perceptual level of dysphonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vocal manual therapy (VMT) is a heterogenous term used to describe a variety of touch-based approaches to voice rehabilitation and maintenance. VMT aims to use manipulation, massage, and reposturing to change how the voice sounds and feels. Since first described in 1990, there has been a proliferation in the use of VMT in the treatment of voice problems, with increasing interest in its usefulness within clinical and non-clinical voice settings. This forum article presents a narrative review of 42 studies investigating the use of VMT in a vocal health context. The aim was to identify the theoretical orientations of VMT protocols, draw links between the techniques employed in their administration, and highlight similarities and differences in use of language across VMT protocols. Relevant articles for review were identified via informal literature search using forward and backward citation screening and then described using narrative synthesis. Theoretical orientations were broad and influenced by speech pathology research as well as Finnish massage, naprapathy and yoga. 26 ostensibly different protocols were identified across the 42 studies, with considerable variation in protocol length and frequency. Language was highly varied across protocols. The forum article therefore advocates for greater shared understanding in VMT research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objective Methods Results Conclusions The purpose of this work is to synthesize the latest developments in diagnosis and management of acute and late dysphagia and dysphonia in oral cavity cancer.A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Google Scholar in May 2024 of articles published between 2021 and 2024. Keywords in the search terms included oral cavity cancer, dysphagia, dysphonia, deglutition, swallowing, voice, oral cavity cancer treatment, oral cavity radiation, chemotherapy, dysgeusia, xerostomia, swallow preservation.Twenty‐seven pertinent studies fit the inclusion criteria. The most common dysphagic complaints following head and neck cancer are trismus, xerostomia, mucositis and dysphagia. Dysphonia, change in voice is reported by half of head and neck cancer survivors. Fibrosis and neuropathy following radiation therapy to the oral cavity, tongue, oropharynx and its surrounding structures is the most common etiology of post‐treatment dysphonia.Oral cavity cancers cause speech and swallowing dysfunction due to both anatomic and post‐treatment changes. These sequalae can be detrimental to the quality of life of the head and neck cancer survivor. For both dysphagia and dysphonia after head and neck cancer early speech and swallow therapy with a Speech Language Pathologist are essential to restoring and maintaining function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Older adults suffer from increased rates of dysphagia and dysphonia, both of which have a profound effect on quality of life and are often underdiagnosed. We sought to better understand the prevalence of these complaints and the potential utility of a patient‐reported screening program in a geriatrics clinic. Methods: Using an IRB‐approved cross‐sectional survey and retrospective cohort design, we recruited participants from a population of new patients seeking care at an academic geriatrics clinic. We used three validated questionnaires to assess self‐reported dysphagia, dysphonia, and pill dysphagia: the Eating‐Assessment Tool‐10 (EAT‐10), the Voice Handicap Index‐10 (VHI‐10), and the PILL‐5. Patients who screened positive on any questionnaire were offered referral to a laryngologist for additional evaluation. Patients who screened positive on the PILL‐5 were also offered referral to our geriatric pharmacist. Results: Among our 300 patients surveyed, the mean age was 76 (SD 8.46). A total of 82 (27.3%) patients screened positive (73 on EAT‐10, 10 on PILL‐5, 13 on VHI‐10) and were offered referral, of which 36 accepted. These positive screening patients took more prescription medications (p =.024) and had a higher GDS score (p <.001) when compared to the patients who screened negative. Conclusions: Many new patients seeking generalized care at our center screened positively for dysphagia and/or dysphonia on validated questionnaires. Geriatric patients may benefit from integrating screening for these disorders to identify the need of further evaluation. It is unknown if these survey tools are appropriate in a non‐otolaryngology clinic. Level of evidence: III. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Benign phonotraumatic lesions of the vocal folds (BVFLs) are typically seen in younger female patients with high vocal loads. Hemorrhagic polyps (HPs) do not fit the classic paradigm of most BVFLs, as they tend to occur in an older population, have a male predominance, and report to result from a vocal accident. We present one of the largest cohorts of HPs, to reexamine their etiology and clinical features. Methods: Retrospective cohort study, inclusive of all patients with HP managed by the senior authors between the years 2016 through 2023. Demographic data, management, phonotraumatic risk factors, pre‐ and post‐treatment VHI‐10 were reviewed. We examined patient videostroboscopy, categorized the size of the lesion, and identified any concurrent mucosal abnormality. Results: One hundred and eleven patients had confirmed HP, 84 males (75.7%). Thirty‐five patients were size category 1; pinpoint (28.9%), 57 were category 2; less than 1/3rd the vocal fold (45.5%), and 26 were category 3; greater than 1/3rd the vocal fold (21.5%). Ten patients (9%) had bilateral HPs. Thirty‐five patients had an additional 40 mucosal lesions in addition to the HP(s). The onset of symptoms was gradual in 60% of patients. The mean pretreatment VHI‐10 was 18.0 (SD 10.7), compared to 6.0 (SD 10.5) post‐treatment, (p <.001). 57/111 patients reported high voice demand professions or recreational activities. The average self‐reported talkative scale score was 7.6/10. Patients were managed with operative microdirect laryngoscopy and microflap excision (53.1%), in‐office clinic potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) laser (24.3%), voice therapy alone (7.2%), and KTP in the operating room (6.3%). Conclusions: In our cohort, most patients were male, had high vocal demands, reported gradual symptom onset, and almost a third of patients had additional BVFLs. Level of evidence: Level 3: Retrospective cohort study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Machine Learning (ML) algorithms have demonstrated remarkable performance in dysphonia detection using speech samples. However, their efficacy often diminishes when tested on languages different from the training data, raising questions about their suitability in clinical settings. This study aims to develop a robust method for cross‐ and multi‐lingual dysphonia detection that overcomes the limitation of language dependency in existing ML methods. We propose an innovative approach that leverages speech embeddings from speaker verification models, especially ECAPA and x‐vector and employs a majority voting ensemble classifier. We utilize speech features extracted from ECAPA and x‐vector embeddings to train three distinct classifiers. The significant advantage of these embedding models lies in their capability to capture speaker characteristics in a language‐independent manner, forming fixed‐dimensional feature spaces. Additionally, we investigate the impact of generating synthetic data within the embedding feature space using the Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE). Our experimental results unveil the effectiveness of the proposed method for dysphonia detection. Compared to results obtained from x‐vector embeddings, ECAPA consistently demonstrates superior performance in distinguishing between healthy and dysphonic speech, achieving accuracy values of 93.33% and 96.55% in both cross‐lingual and multi‐lingual scenarios, respectively. This highlights the remarkable capabilities of speaker verification models, especially ECAPA, in capturing language‐independent features that enhance overall detection performance. The proposed method effectively addresses the challenges of language dependency in dysphonia detection. ECAPA embeddings, combined with majority voting ensemble classifiers, show significant potential for improving the accuracy and reliability of dysphonia detection in cross‐ and multi‐lingual scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in patients with primary muscle tension dysphonia (MTD). The medical records of patients diagnosed with primary MTD between November 2021 and March 2023, were reviewed. The risk of having OSA was assessed by looking at the scores of two validated questionnaires, namely the STOP-BANG questionnaire and the Berlin questionnaire. A total of 40 patients with primary MTD were enrolled in this study, including 16 females (40%) and 24 males (60%). The mean total STOP-BANG score was 3.57 ± 1.67. Seventeen of the study group had intermediate risk of OSA, and 14 had high risk, accounting for 77.5% of patients with primary MTD. When using the Berlin questionnaire, the mean total score was 1.65 ± 0.95, and 67.5% of the study group had a score > 2 and were at high risk of having OSA. The results of this study indicate that patients with primary MTD are at moderate to severe risk of having OSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: to compare the immediate effects of low-frequency TENS employment on vocal quality in women with behavioral dysphonia before and after vocal exercises. Methodology: 30 women (mean = 31.3 years old), diagnosed with behavioral dysphonia received low-frequency TENS before (TENS + VE Group) and after vocal exercises (VE + TENS Group) with a 1-week washout. They had their sustained vowel/a/and running speech recorded before and after each procedure for auditory-perceptual analysis and acoustic measures. The low-frequency TENS parameters applied were symmetrical biphasic quadratic pulse, 200 µs phase, 10 Hz frequency, intensity on the motor threshold, and the electrodes were positioned on the submandibular and superior fibers of the trapezius muscle region. The vocal exercises: tongue trill, humming, finger kazoo, and water resistance therapy were performed totalizing 20 min. Results: intragroup analysis of sustained vowel/a/showed reduction in both groups of strain parameter and increased the breathiness; only VE + TENS Group increased the instability parameter, decreased fundamental frequency, and increased in SPI values; the running speech analysis showed an increase in the overall degree, roughness, and breathiness parameters. However, in VE + TENS Group, there was a statistically significant decrease in the intensity of the strain and an increase in breathiness. The acoustic measures showed that VE + TENS Group had a higher variation than TENS + VE Group regarding NHR. Conclusion: vocal exercises followed by low-frequency TENS have more immediate positive effects on voice quality than the low-frequency TENS followed by vocal exercises. This is a preliminary immediate effects study, and these effects could be verified through long-term assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: There are few options for treatment of dysphonia secondary to vocal pathology related to lamina propria scar, atrophy, sulcus, or inflammatory disorders. Platelet rich plasma (PRP) may provide anti-inflammatory and regenerative properties seen with other tissue engineering therapies without the risks associated with these treatments. We evaluated vocal fold (VF) injection of PRP for feasibility, phonatory effects, patient satisfaction and durability. Methods: Patients with dysphonia secondary to vocal fold scar, atrophy, sulcus and inflammatory lesions were included. PRP injections were administered in office, to bilateral vocal folds. Patients were followed up at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months to assess outcomes (GRBAS scale, maximum phonation time, vocal fatigue index (VFI), voice handicap index (VHI-10) and stroboscopy). Results: 75 intracordal PRP injections were administered to 48 patients. All injections were completed, and no adverse reactions were experienced. Improvements in VHI-10 scores at 1,3,6 months were seen (mean VHI 21.73 at baseline, 15.62 at six months, p < 0.001). 72.3% rated improvement at 7 or above on Likert scale. 95.7% of patients would consider a future PRP injection. Secondary outcomes VFI, MPT, and GRBAS also demonstrated significant improvements over time. Patients receiving a single PRP injection (n = 26) still demonstrated significant VHI-10 improvements at 1,3 and 6 months. Conclusions: VF office PRP injections are feasible and safe and can provide phonatory benefit and reduce vocal effort in benign VF disorders. A single PRP injection is sufficient to provide sustained benefit in some cases. Level of evidence: Level III: prospective cohort study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder affecting one in five women of reproductive age. Polycystic appearance of the ovaries in ultrasonography is associated with oligomenorrhea, and clinical and or biochemical hyperandrogenism. PCOS has been associated with voice alterations for many years. However, there is insufficient research on voice analysis in PCOS patients. Objectives: This research aimed to examine the voice characteristics among women with PCOS. Patients and methods: Our study included 25 women confirmed with PCOS and 25 control. A complete voice assessment was performed for all participants using primary demographic data, vocal symptoms, auditory perceptual evaluation of the voice, Arabic version of the Voice Handicap Index, acoustic analysis, and video laryngoscopic examination of the larynx. Results: Our study revealed statistically significant differences between PCOS and control groups in phonasthenic symptoms, auditory perceptual assessment of the voice, acoustic parameters, and laryngoscopic examination. Conclusion: PCOS women with hirsutism are complaining of vocal symptoms, changes in vocal characters, and deterioration of the acoustic parameters of the voice. High serum levels of androgen can cause the deepening of the voice, which is essential for the early detection of vocal symptoms in PCOS patients to prevent virilization of their voice. Trial registration: NCT06085170. Registered 20 August 2023—retrospectively registered, https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT06085170&ved=2ahUKEwjEyLqUq6KGAxWxRPEDHb57DIQQFnoECBQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1xTurnA6mJEZ9PK0vQS8VL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The present study aimed to validate the Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL), vocal self-assessment questionnaire for Spanish. Methods: The validation and psychometric properties were developed according to the criteria of the Scientific Advisory Committee of Medical Outcomes Trust (SAC). The Spanish translation for linguistic and cultural adaptation of the V-RQOL was used. The study involved 193 participants, including 90 vocally healthy individuals and 103 patients with voice disorders, to establish validity. To evaluate reliability, the protocol was applied to 40 participants with dysphonia, who answered it twice before the treatment. Then to determine response changes, the responses of 13 dysphonic participants to the V-RQOL for Spanish were analyzed after intervention and then compared to the initial ones. Clinicians contrasted subjects’ V-RQOL results with a perceptual analysis of voice quality using the GRBAS scale. In order to determine sensitivity and specificity cut-off values, tools results were subjected to the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The sensitivity was obtained from the experimental group (dysphonic group) and the specificity from the control group (non-dysphonic group). Results: This version of the V-RQOL questionnaire may be used as part of the standard assessment process of people with voice complaints and as an outcome of treatment efficacy in clinical trials. Conclusion: A validation of the V-RQOL for Spanish in Chilean population was achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Inflammatory bowel diseases, which are among the most common chronic gastrointestinal diseases, can also affect the voice for different reasons. The aim of this study was to investigate acoustic, perceptual, and subjective voice evaluation parameters in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Methods: This prospective case-control study included a total of 80 participants: 28 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), 22 patients with Crohn's disease (CD), and 30 healthy controls. Following the endoscopic examination, the fundamental frequency (F0), shimmer (dB), jitter (%), and harmonic/noise ratio (HNR) were measured. GRBAS (grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, strain) scale was used for perceptual evaluation, and Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) Turkish version was used for subjective assessment. Results: The F0 value was within normal limits in both disease groups in male and female participants and in the control group. Jitter and shimmer values were statistically higher in the UC and CD groups than in the control group. HNR did not differ between CD and control; however, it was statistically lower in the UC group when compared to both the control and CD groups. The total GRBAS score did not differ between the UC and CD groups; however, it was greater in IBD patients compared to the control group. However, these differences were within normative parameters. Although total VHI-10 score did not differ between UC and CD groups, both had a higher voice handicap than the control group. Conclusion: IBD might have an effect on the voice and voice quality. This disease group was discovered to have perceptual and subjective voice problems additionally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Montgomery's medialization thyroplasty is a laryngeal frame surgery to treat patients with unilateral vocal cord paralysis. This procedure uses a silicone implant in six sizes each for male and female patients. The results of this technique are generally good; however, the results can be suboptimal in some female patients because of differences in female and male laryngeal anatomy. The angle formed by the thyroid cartilage is greater in women than in men, meaning that the posterior portion of this cartilage is further away from the midline in women. We describe our results using male prostheses to improve suboptimal results in some of our female patients. This study is a retrospective case series study. We included female patients who underwent thyroplasty reintervention from 2014 to 2021 using male Montgomery thyroplasty prostheses. Functional results were studied using maximum phonation time (MPT), the GRBAS scales, and two questionnaires: Voice-Handicap Index 30 and Eating Assessment Tool 10. The functional results for all of these women improved after secondary thyroplasty. In one case, the MPT parameter did not change but patient satisfaction improved. The use of male Montgomery implants in women can be a useful tool to achieve improvement in female thyroplasty failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Lipoid proteinosis (LP) or Urbach-Wiethe disease (OMIM 247100) is a rare syndrome characterised by early vocal folds infiltration and subsequent multi-organ involvement. LP is often unrecognised and its associated hoarseness is overlooked. The main objective of the study was to investigate hoarseness in LP and implement a diagnosis among otolaryngologists. Methods: PubMed/MEDLINE and OMIM databases were systematically searched. Authors concentrated the search on published articles starting from the discovery of the pathogenesis of LP by Hamada et al. in 2002. Only cases in which a diagnosis was reported both clinically and through biopsy and/or genetic molecular testing were included. Characteristics of the LP cases were extracted from each included study. Results were obtained through Generalized Estimating Equations. Results: The search strategy yielded 217 articles, of which 74 (34.1%) met the selection criteria. A total of 154 cases were included. Hoarseness was described in all LP cases and clearly stated as the onset symptom in 68.8%. The onset was on average at 19 months of age (CI: 3.00–20.00), while the mean age at diagnosis was 15 years (CI: 10.00–30.00). Therefore, the diagnostic delay amounted to 13.42 years (CI: 8.00–23.83). Hoarseness alone was responsible for an LP diagnosis in only 14.3% of cases. In 43.5% of cases, genetic analysis of the ECM1 gene was performed and exon 6 was the most frequently altered portion. Conclusion: Analysing the largest number of published cases, the study underlined that hoarseness is the key symptom for diagnosing LP since early childhood, though frequently overlooked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease is related to nervous system disorders in human beings. In this paper, the status of Parkinson's disease has been predicted based on the analysis of features of two Parkinson's disease symptoms: Dysphonia and Dysarthria. The Dysphonia symptom has been measured by analyzing the features extracted from the vocal sounds of a patient. The Dysarthria symptom of Parkinson's disease has been analyzed by the features extracted from the speech signals of a patient. Hence, two different prediction models have been built for deriving the status of Parkinson's disease. The derivation of these prediction systems is based on statistical and discriminant feature analysis. The statistical-based feature analysis is carried out using descriptive and inferential analysis. In contrast, the enteric, deviation, and correlation-based information between the features are utilized for descriptive analysis. The inferential analysis has been performed using hypothetical testing of the distribution of features. The descriptive and inferential feature analyses are used to derive effective features for the Parkinson's disease problem based on the Dysphonia and Dysarthria symptoms. In the discriminant feature analysis, the feature sets undergo deriving discriminant features. The best-selected features are used to build a prediction model for detecting Parkinson's disease problems in a patient. Extensive experimentation has been carried out using a Dysphonia dataset containing 195 samples. Each sample has 23 features. One dataset for Dysarthria symptoms contains 756 observations, with each observation having 754 features. The best prediction models that have been obtained correspond to these datasets, and 93.50% is obtained for Dysphonia and 87.63% for Dysarthria symptoms databases, respectively. The performance of the proposed system has been compared with some existing methods concerning each employed dataset, showing the superiority of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acoustic Voice Quality Index (AVQI) is a multiparametric construct of voice quality recognized for its clinical and research applications around the globe. This study aimed to review the validity and diagnostic accuracy of AVQI (v02&03) and determine the effects of age and gender. This is a systematic review and meta-analysis registered with the PROSPERO registry. The authors searched two databases (PubMed and Cochrane Library database) for relevant studies. Studies selected for the systematic review were grouped based on study objectives. To determine the quality of the selected studies, the authors utilized the QUADAS-2 tool. Meta-analysis of seven studies on AVQIv02 revealed a diagnostic threshold ranging from 2.72 to 3.33 for AVQIv02. In comparison, eight studies investigating AVQIv03 suggested a diagnostic threshold ranging from 1.33 to 3.15 for AVQIv03. Altogether, these studies demonstrated a pooled sensitivity and specificity of 0.85 and 0.92 for AVQIv02 and 0.82 and 0.92 for AVQIv03. The Area under the Curve was slightly better for AVQIv03 (0.94) than AVQIv02 (0.92). Three studies investigating the effect of age and gender on AVQI had a consensus that AVQI is independent of gender. However, findings were contradictory about the impact of age on AVQI. AVQI is found to be a valid tool for the assessment of voice quality. AVQIv03 is slightly better than AVQIv02 in its diagnostic accuracy. AVQI is independent of gender. Because of the contradictory evidence, additional research on the effects of age on AVQI is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Survey the current literature on artificial intelligence (AI) applications for detecting and classifying vocal pathology using voice recordings, and identify challenges and opportunities for advancing the field forward. Data Sources: PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Scopus databases. Review Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. Peer‐reviewed journal articles in the English language were included if they used an AI approach to detect or classify pathological voices using voice recordings from patients diagnosed with vocal pathologies. Results: Eighty‐two studies were included in the review between the years 2000 and 2023, with an increase in publication rate from one study per year in 2012 to 10 per year in 2022. Seventy‐two studies (88%) were aimed at detecting the presence of voice pathology, 24 (29%) at classifying the type of voice pathology present, and 4 (5%) at assessing pathological voice using the Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, and Strain scale. Thirty‐six databases were used to collect and analyze speech samples. Fourteen articles (17%) did not provide information about their AI model validation methodology. Zero studies moved beyond the preclinical and offline AI model development stages. Zero studies specified following a reporting guideline for AI research. Conclusion: There is rising interest in the potential of AI technology to aid the detection and classification of voice pathology. Three challenges—and areas of opportunities—for advancing this research are heterogeneity of databases, lack of clinical validation studies, and inconsistent reporting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Hearing loss (HL) (receptive communication impairment) is a known risk factor for depression. However, dysphonia (expressive communication impairment), has received little study. We study HL, self‐reported voice disorder, and combined impairment as risk factors for depression in a large national cohort. Methods: This was a cross‐sectional epidemiologic study. Data were analyzed from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) cycles 2008–2012 and 2019–2020. KNHANES uniquely contains both audiometry and voice disorder data. HL (yes/no) was defined as ≥25 dB pure tone average. Voice disorder (yes/no) was defined by self‐report. Depression (yes/no) was defined by physician diagnosis. Odds ratios for depression were calculated using multivariable logistic regressions with HL and voice disorder. Results: 8,524 individuals aged 19 to 80 years old had complete data. The mean age was 57.3 years (SD = 13.4) and 64% were women. All regressions were controlled for age and sex. Those with HL, versus those without, had 1.27 times the odds (95% CI = 1.07–1.52, p = 0.007) of depression. Those with self‐reported voice disorder, versus those without, had 1.48 times the odds (1.22–1.78, p < 0.001) of depression. Those with HL and self‐reported voice disorder, versus those with neither, had 1.79 times the odds (1.27–2.48, p < 0.001) of depression. Conclusions: This study demonstrates independent relationships between HL and depression and self‐reported voice disorder and depression. Combined HL and self‐reported voice disorder had nearly 1.8 times the odds of depression. This is likely due to the grossly additive effect of difficulty with incoming and outgoing communication streams. Level of Evidence: II Laryngoscope, 134:4060–4065, 2024 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder affecting one in five women of reproductive age. Polycystic appearance of the ovaries in ultrasonography is associated with oligomenorrhea, and clinical and or biochemical hyperandrogenism. PCOS has been associated with voice alterations for many years. However, there is insufficient research on voice analysis in PCOS patients. Objectives This research aimed to examine the voice characteristics among women with PCOS. Patients and methods Our study included 25 women confirmed with PCOS and 25 control. A complete voice assessment was performed for all participants using primary demographic data, vocal symptoms, auditory perceptual evaluation of the voice, Arabic version of the Voice Handicap Index, acoustic analysis, and video laryngoscopic examination of the larynx. Results Our study revealed statistically significant differences between PCOS and control groups in phonasthenic symptoms, auditory perceptual assessment of the voice, acoustic parameters, and laryngoscopic examination. Conclusion PCOS women with hirsutism are complaining of vocal symptoms, changes in vocal characters, and deterioration of the acoustic parameters of the voice. High serum levels of androgen can cause the deepening of the voice, which is essential for the early detection of vocal symptoms in PCOS patients to prevent virilization of their voice. Trial registration NCT06085170. Registered 20 August 2023—retrospectively registered, https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT06085170&ved=2ahUKEwjEyLqUq6KGAxWxRPEDHb57DIQQFnoECBQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1xTurnA6mJEZ9PK0vQS8VL .

Objectives: COVID-19 was triggered by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2, leading to a pandemic. The risk of developing dysphonia and dysphagia amongst COVID-19 patients is considered to be high. Methods: In this prospective study, 150 patients affected by COVID-19 admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and the ward of Firoozgar Hospital in Tehran, Iran, were analyzed. Dysphagia and dysphonia were evaluated according to the swallowing impairment score and the consensus auditory-perceptual evaluation of voice (CAPE-V). Also, the quality of life (QoL) was measured using the Persian version of the voice handicap index, the swallowing QoL and the Persian version of the dysphagia handicap index (DHI). Results: A total of 150 COVID-19 patients (mean age: 59.64±17.87 years and 54.3% male; 75 admitted patients to the ICU and 75 patients admitted to the ward) were evaluated. A total of 115(77%) patients with COVID-19 were experiencing dysphagia, and the prevalence of dysphagia did not vary meaningfully between the two sets. According to the swallowing QoL, the QoL of the two groups was meaningly different (P