Countermeasure for Dysphonia in Elderly : Rehabilitation -Voice Therapy Efficacy for Vocal Fold Atrophy-

Abstract

The aging rate in Japan was 28.4% in 2019. In this super-aged country, effective treatment for vocal fold atrophy in elderly patients (>65 years old) is urgently required. In our clinic, voice therapy is the first-choice therapeutic procedure for vocal fold atrophy, with surgery considered should voice therapy prove ineffective for managing vocal fold atrophy. This therapeutic strategy of selecting a less-invasive procedure as a first-choice therapeutic option is universal and realistic for elderly patients. It has been reported that voice therapy can improve vocal fold vibrations by improving the contractile function of the atrophic thyroarytenoid muscle. Various studies have reported the efficacy of voice therapy for managing vocal fold atrophy. In recent years, various approaches have been used in the hopes of achieving greater therapeutic efficacy than with traditional methods in the field of speech therapy.