2018 Volume 59 Issue 4 Pages 311-317
We examined the impact of voice therapy using vocal function exercise (VFE) on vocal fold atrophy. We also assessed the factors affecting the impact of VFE on vocal pathology. Thirty patients (male 73.2±3.58 years, female 76±8.35 years) who underwent voice therapy for vocal fold atrophy between July 2016 and November 2017 were incorporated in this study. Vocal hygiene instruction followed by 8 weeks of VFE was performed as the therapeutic option, and multiple vocal parameters were measured before and after VFE in all patients. Significant improvements in endoscopic glottal closure scoring, grade score of GRBAS scale, maximum phonation time, shimmer value, and VHI score were observed after voice therapy. Furthermore, both the age of the patient and duration of the disease significantly correlated with the number of improved vocal parameters. Patients having background diseases in respiratory and cardiovascular functions were incorporated in this study. However, these medical histories as well as the smoking histories of the patients did not negatively affect the impact of voice therapy. These results suggest that VFE might be effective on vocal fold atrophy as long as these background diseases are stabilized under proper management during voice therapy.
