Objectives. Uniform evaluation of treatment effect on the quality of voice in adductor spasmodic dysphonia (AdSD) is challenging due to the broad variety of available outcome measurement... Show moreObjectives. Uniform evaluation of treatment effect on the quality of voice in adductor spasmodic dysphonia (AdSD) is challenging due to the broad variety of available outcome measurement instruments (OMIs). The European Laryngological Society categorized five types of measurement domains for voice quality evaluations: patient-reported outcome measures, perceptual analyses, acoustic analyses, visual analyses, and aerodynamic measurements. The aim of this study was to propose a core outcome set (COS) for these domains, enabling systematic assessments of treatment effects on the quality of voice in patients with AdSD.Methods. The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched for eligible studies published before July 2019. The results were systematically analyzed following the protocol of the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments/Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials initiative. The proposed COS is based on the prevalence of OMIs, quality of the included studies, criteria for good measurement properties, and correlations to other OMI domains.Results. A total of 76 articles were included, with nearly all studies and OMIs found to be of moderate or low quality. The 19 studies that reported on the correlation of OMIs demonstrated conflicting results. Appraising the best available evidence, our proposed COS consisted of patient-reported outcome measures (voice handicap index), perceptual measurements (grade, roughness, breathiness, strain, and voice breaks) and acoustic measurements (voice breaks, voice onset time, aperiodicity, and multiparameter algorithms).Conclusion. A review of OMIs evaluating treatment effects in AdSD was conducted. Based on this review, a uniform COS was proposed. However, evidence for the selected instruments was limited. Further exploration into the validity and reliability of OMIs for AdSD is recommended. Show less
Desuter, G.; Cartiaux, O.; Pierard, J.; Henrard, S.; Lith-Bijl, J. van; Benthem, P.P. van; Sjogren, E. 2020
Introduction. Accuracy of thyroid cartilage fenestration during Montgomery thyroplasty (MTIS) is considered a key success factor. The primary aim of the study was to retrospectively evaluate the... Show moreIntroduction. Accuracy of thyroid cartilage fenestration during Montgomery thyroplasty (MTIS) is considered a key success factor. The primary aim of the study was to retrospectively evaluate the accuracy of fenestration. Furthermore, recent publications indicate a possible discrepancy in MTIS voice outcomes related to gender. The secondary aim of the study was to investigate whether the fenestration accuracy could explain this discrepancy.Material and Method. Study was performed by virtually drawing the fenestration on a 3D CT scan as proposed by the MTIS's instructions for use (the "expected window" (EW)), and comparing it to the actually realized fenestration (the "realized window "(RW)). Four position variables, (a) surface overlap (%), (b) the distances between RW and EW centers (mm), (c) the angle between RW and EW (), and (d) the orientation of RW's center, were studied and compared to MPT (seconds) and VHI-30 scores outcomes. A descriptive statistical analysis and comparison between males and females were performed using a Mann-Whitney U test. Linear regression and multivariate analysis were also performed.Results. The median overlapping surface was 58.8 % [34.6; 75.4]. The median radius was 3.2 mm [1.7; 4.1]. The median angle was 16 [6.8; 21.2]. Results show no significant differences of overlapping surface percentage, distance, or angle by gender. Data show no correlation between voice outcome and percentage overlap, distance, or angle. However, data show better outcomes when fenestration was located in the infero-anterior orientation. All patients of this orientation were males.Conclusions. Data provided by this study advocate a maximal infero-anterior positioning of the window during MTIS. This position is more difficult to obtain in female patients. Show less
Desuter, G.; Cartiaux, O.; Pierard, J.; Henrard, S.; Lith-Bijl, J. van; Benthem, P.P. van; Sjogren, E. 2019
Introduction Accuracy of thyroid cartilage fenestration during Montgomery Thyroplasty (MTIS) is considered a key success factor. The primary aim of the study was to retrospectively evaluate the... Show moreIntroduction Accuracy of thyroid cartilage fenestration during Montgomery Thyroplasty (MTIS) is considered a key success factor. The primary aim of the study was to retrospectively evaluate the accuracy of fenestration. Furthermore, recent publications indicate a possible discrepancy in MTIS voice outcomes related to gender. The secondary aim of the study was to investigate whether the fenestration accuracy could explain this discrepancy. Material and Method Study was performed by virtually drawing the fenestration on a 3D CT-scan as proposed by the MTIS’s instructions for use (the “expected window” (EW)), and comparing it to the actually realized fenestration (the “realized window "(RW)). Four position variables, (a) surface overlap (%), (b) the distances between RW and EW centers (mm), (c) the angle between RW and EW and (d) the orientation of RW’s center, were studied and compared to MPT (Sec) and VHI-30 scores outcomes. A descriptive statistical analysis and comparison between males and females were performed using a Mann-Whitney U test. Linear regression and multivariate analysis were also performed. Results The median overlapping surface was 58.8 % [34.6; 75.4]. The median Radius was 3.2 mm [1.7; 4.1]. The median angle was 16° [6.8; 21.2]. Results show no significant differences of overlapping surface percentage, distance or angle by gender. Data show no correlation between voice outcome and percentage overlap, distance or angle. However, data show better outcomes when fenestration was located in the infero-anterior orientation. All patients of this orientation were males. Conclusions Data provided by this study advocate a maximal infero-anterior positioning of the window during MTIS. This position is more difficult to obtain in female patients. Show less
Objectives. Perceptual judgments and patients' perception of voice and speech after concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for advanced head and neck cancer.Study Design. Prospective clinical trial... Show moreObjectives. Perceptual judgments and patients' perception of voice and speech after concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for advanced head and neck cancer.Study Design. Prospective clinical trial.Methods. A standard Dutch text and a diadochokinetic task were recorded. Expert listeners rated voice and speech quality (based on Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, and Strain), articulation (overall, [p], [t], [k]), and comparative mean opinion scores of voice and speech at three assessment points calculated. A structured study-specific questionnaire evaluated patients' perception pretreatment (N = 55), at 10-week (N = 49) and 1-year posttreatment (N = 37).Results. At 10 weeks, perceptual voice quality is significantly affected. The parameters overall voice quality (mean, -0.24; P = 0.008), strain (mean, -0.12; P = 0.012), nasality (mean, -0.08; P = 0.009), roughness (mean, -0.22; P = 0.001), and pitch (mean, -0.03; P = 0.041) improved over time but not beyond baseline levels, except for asthenia at 1-year posttreatment (voice is less asthenic than at baseline; mean, +0.20; P = 0.03). Perceptual analyses of articulation showed no significant differences. Patients judge their voice quality as good (score, 18/20) at all assessment points, but at 1-year posttreatment, most of them (70%) judge their "voice not as it used to be.'' In the 1-year versus 10-week posttreatment comparison, the larynx-hypopharynx tumor group was more strained, whereas nonlarynx tumor voices were judged less strained (mean, -0.33 and +0.07, respectively; P = 0.031). Patients' perceived changes in voice and speech quality at 10-week post-versus pretreatment correlate weakly with expert judgments.Conclusion. Overall, perceptual CCRT effects on voice and speech seem to peak at 10-week posttreatment but level off at 1-year posttreatment. However, at that assessment point, most patients still perceive their voice as different from baseline. Show less
