Outcomes of voice therapy in children with benign vocal fold lesions.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to examine the effect of voice therapy on dysphonia on children with benign vocal fold lesions, as measured by perceptual evaluation using the Consensus Auditory Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-V) and acoustic and aerodynamic measures (jitter, shimmer, noise-to-harmonic ratio, phonation threshold pressure, mean airflow during voicing, subglottic pressure during comfortable phonation).

STUDY

DESIGN

Prospective disease-specific outcomes database.

METHODS

Subjects identified in the database consisted of 28 children (14 male, 14 female) between the ages of three and eighteen. Pre- and post-therapy perceptual, acoustic and aerodynamic measures were compared using two-sided paired t-test.

RESULTS

There was a statistically significant difference in perceptual ratings of voice quality (p < .001) and in phonation threshold pressure before and after therapy (p = .034). While acoustic measures improved after therapy, changes were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Children with dysphonia secondary to benign vocal fold lesions showed positive change in perceptual ratings of voice quality and in phonation threshold pressure after voice therapy.