Effects of the manual laryngeal musculoskeletal tension reduction technique as a treatment for functional voice disorders: perceptual and acoustic measures.
During a 2-year period, 17 patients with "functional dysphonia" were assessed and managed in a hospital setting. A single treatment approach, known as manual laryngeal musculoskeletal tension reduction, was employed. The effects of the therapy regimen were analyzed using perceptual and acoustical measures of vocal function. The results indicated a significant change in the direction of "normal" vocal function in the majority of patients within one treatment session. Perceptual measures of severity were consistently more likely to be rated as normal following treatment. Acoustic measures of voice confirmed significant improvements in jitter, shimmer, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Results are discussed in terms of the clinical utility and effectiveness of this treatment approach for functional dysphonia.
Roy
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Department of Speech/Language Pathology, General Hospital, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.
Leeper
H A
HA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007821:Laryngeal Muscles / Q000502:physiology; D007830:Larynx / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009126:Muscle Relaxation; D009141:Musculoskeletal System; D012064:Relaxation Therapy; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D013067:Speech Perception; D013068:Speech Production Measurement; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy