title: A study of the effectiveness of voice therapy in the treatment of 45 patients with nonorganic dysphonia.
abstract: Forty-five patients diagnosed as having nonorganic dysphonia were assigned in rotation to 1 of 3 groups. Patients in group 1 received no treatment and acted as a control group. Patients in groups 2 and 3 received a program of indirect therapy and direct with indirect therapy, respectively. A range of qualitative and quantitative measures were carried out on all patients before and after treatment to evaluate change in voice quality over time. Results revealed a significant difference between the 3 treatment groups in the amount of change for the voice severity, electrolaryngograph, and shimmer measurements and on ratings provided by a patient questionnaire (P<0.05). However, other measures failed to show significant differences between the 3 groups. Most of the patients (86%) in group 1 showed no significant change on any of the measures. Some patients in treatment group 2 (46%) showed significant change in voice quality. Fourteen out of 15 patients (93%) in treatment group showed significant changes in voice quality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech and Voice Therapy, Freeman Hospital, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, England.
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Carding
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Horsley
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Docherty
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology; D006801:Humans; D007828:Laryngoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D013070:Speech Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D014833:Voice Quality; D014834:Voice Training