title: Effects of voice therapy as objectively evaluated by digitized laryngeal stroboscopic imaging.
abstract: Objective measurements derived from digitized laryngeal stroboscopic images were used to demonstrate changes in vocal fold vibration and in the size of benign lesions after 3 months of voice therapy. Forty chronically dysphonic patients were studied. By means of a rigid stroboscope, pretreatment and posttreatment recordings were made of the vocal folds at rest and under stroboscopic light during phonation. From each recording, images of the positions at rest and during vibration at maximal opening and at maximal closure were digitized. The surface areas of any lesions and of the glottal gap were independently measured in the digitized images by 2 experienced laryngologists. Referential distances were determined in order to compensate for discrepancies in magnification in the various recordings. After 3 months of voice therapy, significant improvement in lesion size and degree of maximal closure during vibration could be demonstrated in about 50% of the patients. The degree of maximal opening did not prove to be a significant parameter.
authors.affiliation: Phoniatric Department, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Reneé
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Speyer
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Weineke
authors.forename: Elham Ghazi
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Hosseini
authors.forename: Pieter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Kempen
authors.forename: Willem
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kersing
authors.forename: Philippe H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Dejonckere
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010699:Phonation; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014741:Video Recording; D014827:Vocal Cords / Q000502:physiology; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D014834:Voice Training