Effectiveness of voice therapy in hyperfunctional dysphonia in adult patients.
OBJECTIVE
In this retrospective study, voice therapy results of adult patients with hyperfunctional voice disorders were discussed.


METHODS
Ninety-one adult patients (59 females, 32 males; mean age: 37 years; range 18 to 54 years) who completed their voice therapy sessions between May 2002 and May 2007 were included in this study. The voice therapy plan was focused on developing competence in perception, tonus regulation, physiological breathing and physiological use of voice. Especially Koblenzer, Smith, Fröschels, Höller-Zangenfeind and Pahn techniques were included in the plan. Patients had voice therapy sessions every one or two weeks for about 30-45 minutes. On average, patients had eight sessions. Voice therapy was conducted by the same voice therapy team to the patients. Vocal use and hygiene guidelines were also explained to the patients. In the objective and subjective evaluation of voice, dysphonia severity index (DSI) and voice handicap index (VHI) scores were used respectively.


RESULTS
After voice therapy, DSI increased from -1.4 to 1.1 and VHI decreased from 72 to 43. Voice therapy was found to be successful clinically.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that patients with hyperfunctional voice disorder benefits from voice therapy.
Kandoğan
Tolga
T
Department of Otolaryngology, Izmir Bozyaka Training and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey. tkandogan@gmail.com
Koç
Murat
M
Aksoy
Gökçe
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D055154:Dysphonia / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010465:Perception; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014834:Voice Training; D055815:Young Adult