Voice Disorders and Rehabilitation - Other Vocabulary/Objective measurements/Medications/Therapies

The Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-V)

Developed as a tool for clinical auditory-perceptual assessment of voice. Its primary purpose is to describe the severity of auditory -perceptual attributes of a voice problem, in a way that can be communicated among clinicians.

CAPE-V, ASHA
https://www.asha.org/siteassets/uploadedfiles/asha/sig/03/cape-v-procedures-and-form.pdf

Noise to Harmonic Ratio (HNR)

Measures the ratio between periodic and non-periodic components of a speech sound. It has become more and more important in the vocal acoustic analysis to diagnose pathologic voices. The measure of this parameter can be done with Praat software that is commonly accepted by the scientific community has an accurate measure.

Fernandes, et. al., 2018
https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S1877050918316739?token=0E3D3C95E8ED4AA807F5C5E6976AAC1605F47AA463C4597335C90FBD68D160CF8B1B079FC2D66AC6B536539A47AE84C6&originRegion=us-east-1&originCreation=20210729183407

Voice-Related Quality of Life (VRQOL)

A 10-item, disease specific outcomes instrument for voice disorders

Hogikyan, 2006

https://pubs.asha.org/doi/abs/10.1044/vvd14.1.3

Steroids

Reduce inflammation thereby allowing a person to phonate more normally. They may be safely used for short-term voice intervention when prescribed by and monitored by a laryngologist. Inhaled and systemic steroids may have negative side effects including gastric irritation/ulceration, hemorrhage, mucosal drying, mood changes and irritability. Inhaled steroids may result in contact inflammation and mucosal dryness due to propellants. Candidiasis (fungal infection) is a common side effect from extended use of inhaled steroids.

Trained Marking

A strategy where a singer or performer reduces their vocal load to preserve the voice. This may include octave transposition, decreased intensity, alternate registration, etc.

Vocal Cool Down

A training protocol to facilitate recovery from active voice use

Ragan, 2018
https://kariragan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/The-Efficacy-of-Vocal-Cool-Down-Exercises-JOS-2018.pdf

Voice Rest

Voice rest is typically found to be part of the treatment protocol for a variety of voice disorders. Oftentimes, if the disorder is thought to be related to vocal fold impact stress, then voice rest is recommended to provide opportunity for the vocal folds to heal.

Voice rest is also recommended during the immediate postoperative period following phonosurgery. Whispering is produced when laryngeal resistance is sufficient enough to create audible turbulence of the transglottal airflow as it exits the lungs.

Laryngeal resistance is created through laryngeal compression. There appears to be significant production variability from person to person with regard to laryngeal compression strategy.

In the majority of cases, compression appears to visually mimic hyperfunction and vocal fold contact is present. For this reason, whispering has not been equated to voice rest. Some people, however, whisper without hyperfunction suggesting that whispering may be an effective strategy for some to remain verbal while also promoting the vocal fold healing process for discrete mass lesions, edema and inflammation.

Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve (RLN)

The recurrent laryngeal nerves control all intrinsic muscles of the larynx except for the cricothyroid muscle. These muscles act to open, close, and adjust the tension of the vocal folds, and include the posterior cricoarytenoid muscles, the only muscle to open the vocal folds.

Superior Laryngeal Nerve (SLN)

A branch of the vagus nerve, innervates the cricothyroid muscle of the larynx. This muscle stretches, tenses, and adducts the vocal folds.