ENTtoday
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • Practice Focus
    • Allergy
    • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
    • Head and Neck
    • Laryngology
    • Otology/Neurotology
    • Pediatric
    • Rhinology
    • Sleep Medicine
  • Departments
    • Issue Archive
    • TRIO Best Practices
      • Allergy
      • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
      • Head and Neck
      • Laryngology
      • Otology/Neurotology
      • Pediatric
      • Rhinology
      • Sleep Medicine
    • Career Development
    • Case of the Month
    • Everyday Ethics
    • Health Policy
    • Legal Matters
    • Letter From the Editor
    • Medical Education
    • Online Exclusives
    • Practice Management
    • Resident Focus
    • Rx: Wellness
    • Special Reports
    • Tech Talk
    • Viewpoint
    • What’s Your O.R. Playlist?
  • Literature Reviews
    • Allergy
    • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
    • Head and Neck
    • Laryngology
    • Otology/Neurotology
    • Pediatric
    • Rhinology
    • Sleep Medicine
  • Events
    • Featured Events
    • TRIO Meetings
  • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • Triological Society
    • Advertising Staff
    • Subscribe
  • Advertise
    • Place an Ad
    • Classifieds
    • Rate Card
  • Search

Presbyphonia Voice Therapy Effective in Older Patients

by Sue Pondrom • June 9, 2010

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version

Are factors such as age, gender, degree of vocal fold atrophy and the burden of medical problems associated with voice therapy outcomes for presbyphonia?

You Might Also Like

No related posts.

Explore This Issue
June 2010

Background: Although voice therapy is generally considered the mainstay of rehabilitation for the aging voice, there is little data on its efficacy for this indication, especially with regard to the effects of age, degree of glottic closure, degree of vocal fold atrophy and the burden of medical problems. Previous studies of dysphonia in aged persons have shown physiologic aging to account for only a minority of voice problems, and therefore might lead to under-treatment of this group of patients.

Study Design: Retrospective review

Setting: Vanderbilt Voice Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn.

Synopsis: Researchers screened the records of patients seen over a three-year period. For the study they chose 67 patients over age 55 with a primary complaint of hoarseness, presence of vocal fold atrophy on examination and absence of laryngeal or neurological pathology. They team assessed voice therapy outcomes with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association National Outcomes Measurement System scale and performed statistical analysis. Of these patients, 85 percent demonstrated improvement with voice therapy, and the most common type of glottic closure was a slit gap. Gender or age had no effect on voice therapy outcomes. Larger glottic gaps on initial stroboscopy examination and more pronounced vocal fold atrophy were weakly correlated with less improvement and a weak correction was also found between the number of chronic medical conditions and poorer outcomes. The authors said the fact that many patients did not have large glottal gaps may be a source of bias in the overall favorable outcome from voice therapy.

Bottom Line: Advanced age does not portend poorer outcomes with voice therapy. Patients with larger glottal gaps and more severe atrophy may improve less with voice therapy than those with better glottic competence on initial examination. The degree of improvement may also be influenced by medical problems.

Citation: Mau T, Jacobson BH, Garrett CG. Factors associated with voice therapy outcomes in the treatment of presbyphonia. The Laryngoscope. 2010;120(6):1181-1187.

—Reviewed by Sue Pondrom

Filed Under: Laryngology, Literature Reviews Tagged With: laryngology, presbyphonia, vocal fold atrophy, voice therapyIssue: June 2010

You Might Also Like:

The Triological SocietyENTtoday is a publication of The Triological Society.

The Laryngoscope
Ensure you have all the latest research at your fingertips; Subscribe to The Laryngoscope today!

Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology
Open access journal in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery is currently accepting submissions.

Classifieds

View the classified ads »

TRIO Best Practices

View the TRIO Best Practices »

Top Articles for Residents

  • Do Training Programs Give Otolaryngology Residents the Necessary Tools to Do Productive Research?
  • Why More MDs, Medical Residents Are Choosing to Pursue Additional Academic Degrees
  • What Physicians Need to Know about Investing Before Hiring a Financial Advisor
  • Tips to Help You Regain Your Sense of Self
  • Should USMLE Step 1 Change from Numeric Score to Pass/Fail?
  • Popular this Week
  • Most Popular
  • Most Recent
    • The Dramatic Rise in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Treatment
    • Vertigo in the Elderly: What Does It Mean?
    • Some Studies Predict a Shortage of Otolaryngologists. Do the Numbers Support Them?
    • Neurogenic Cough Is Often a Diagnosis of Exclusion
    • Complications for When Physicians Change a Maiden Name
    • Vertigo in the Elderly: What Does It Mean?
    • New Developments in the Management of Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
    • Some Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Resists PPI Treatment
    • The Dramatic Rise in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Treatment
    • Eustachian Tuboplasty: A Potential New Option for Chronic Tube Dysfunction and Patulous Disease
    • Tympanoplasty Tips: Otology Experts Give Advice on the Procedure
    • How Treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) Is Evolving to Give Patients a Better Night’s Sleep
    • Vestibular Schwannoma Position Relative to Internal Auditory Canal Helps Predict Postoperative Facial Function
    • Vocal Fold Lipoaugmentation Provides Long-Term Voice Improvements for Glottal Insufficiency
    • Upper Lateral Cartilage Mucosal Flap Enables the Successful Closure of Larger Septal Perforations

Polls

Do you think there will be a shortage of otolaryngologists in the next five to 10 years?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • Polls Archive
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Visit: The Triological Society • The Laryngoscope • Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology

Wiley
© 2022 The Triological Society. All Rights Reserved.
ISSN 1559-4939

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.