Logopedics Phoniatrics Vocology最新文献

Necrobiotic xanthogranuloma (NXG) is a rare non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis with exceptionally uncommon laryngeal involvement. We report a 45-year-old male presenting with hoarseness and airway obstruction due to a supraglottic mass. Surgical excision via microlaryngoscopy was complicated by recurrent bleeding, which was ultimately managed with superior thyroid artery ligation. Histopathological evaluation confirmed NXG, showing necrobiosis, giant cells, cholesterol clefts, and CD138 positivity. The patient recovered uneventfully, with symptom resolution and a patent airway at follow-up. This case emphasizes the need to consider NXG in the differential diagnosis of laryngeal masses and highlights the importance of multidisciplinary evaluation and surgical preparedness for hemorrhagic complications.

Introduction: The primary objective of this systematic review was to identify and assess the Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) used in studies of prophylactic dysphagia intervention for patients with head and neck cancer undergoing non-surgical treatments. A secondary objective was to evaluate the quality of the PROMs used in these intervention studies and examine the articles related to their development.

Method: Five databases (MEDLINE via PubMed, Web of Science, Pro-Quest, CINHAL, and SCOPUS) were searched for intervention studies on dysphagia in head and neck cancer patients, initiated before or during radiation/chemoradiation, with at least one PROM outcome. Studies on the psychometric development of identified PROMs were also analyzed separately.

Result: Sixteen intervention studies met the inclusion criteria. Twenty studies on development of 17 PROMs were evaluated. The most used were: MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory, European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and EORTC Quality of Life Head and Neck Module (EORTC-QLQ-H&N35). PROMs varied in construct and developmental characteristics, and none met criteria for all measurement domains.

Conclusion: Although several studies on prophylactic dysphagia intervention during radiation therapy have reported significant improvements in the clinician-rated outcomes, the current systematic review revealed that patient-reported findings do not depict significant changes pre- and post- intervention, however a trend towards improved scores was noted that warrants further investigation. Including PROMs in research and clinical settings is important, but their growing number makes selecting the right one challenging. Users should exercise caution and understand a PROM's developmental characteristics before use. t.

This comment grew out of a talk given at the 2025 National Center for Voice and Speech conference entitled "Voice and Speech in the Age of Machine Learning." Logopedics, phoniatrics, and vocology will all benefit from artificial intelligence with reduced time and effort in clinical management and improved research protocols. With that benefit, however, comes a concern about future scientific revolutions that are born with human intelligence, thinking about anomalies in data sets that can easily be overlooked by algorithmic approaches. This paper reviews the classic thinking of Thomas Kuhn on scientific revolutions in the middle of the twentieth century and philosophic contribution in the twenty-first century by Wissner-Gross and Freer about intelligence.

There is increasing evidence for the usefulness of psychological concepts in voice practice and voice therapy. Existing psychological conceptualisations of voice disorders feature principles from cognitive-behavioural therapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and personality psychology, to formulate how voice problems might develop and/or become persistent. Voice practitioners are encouraged to apply these principles when working with people with voice disorders to aid rehabilitation and improve psychosocial wellbeing as it relates to voice use. To this end, this tutorial offers a primer for compassion focused therapy (CFT), a model of psychological therapy that might be useful to voice practitioners and patients in understanding and working with psychological factors in voice use. It first introduces the theoretical underpinnings of CFT and the concept of the three affect regulation systems, with suggestions for how the therapeutic model can be introduced and applied to voice patients. It then draws out therapeutic components often used within CFT and considers how they might integrate within voice rehabilitation. The aim is to increase awareness and knowledge of CFT, and prime future research and practice by illustrating how CFT might be applied in vocal health and voice care.

Purpose: To investigate whether there is a difference in olfactory functions among individuals who use different voice restoration methods after total laryngectomy.

Method: The study group for this research comprised individuals who had undergone total laryngectomy and aged 44 to 75 years; 10 participants using oesophageal speech, 10 participants using tracheoesophageal speech, and 10 participants using electrolarynx were included. The control group comprised 10 individuals with normal olfactory function of similar age and gender to the individuals in the study group. The participants' olfactory functions were evaluated using the Sniffin Sticks Extended Test. European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire - H&N-35 was used as a subjective scale.

Result: All laryngectomised patients exhibited olfactory impairment, with 73.3% diagnosed with anosmia and 26.7% with hyposmia. Regarding Sniffin Sticks Test combined scores; the mean values of voice prosthesis users, electrolarynx and oesophageal speech group were 8.4, 10.1 and 21.6 respectively, while in the control group it was 38.2. In terms of Sniffin Sticks Test composite scores, the oesophageal speech group had significantly higher scores than the voice prosthesis and electrolarynx groups (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: While all laryngectomised patients showed olfactory dysfunction, those using oesophageal speech - a somewhat overlooked rehabilitation method - exhibited statistically significant preservation of olfactory function compared to other voice restoration techniques. These findings suggest that oesophageal speech may offer distinct advantages for maintaining post-laryngectomy olfactory capacity, warranting further consideration in clinical practise.

Introduction: This study investigates the relationship between the morphological characteristics of the pharyngoesophageal segment (PES), communication experiences, and the acoustic parameters of the tracheoesophageal (TE) voice.

Methods: A total of 55 patients who had undergone total laryngectomy were enrolled in this study between July 2020 and October 2023 in a Department of Otorhinolaryngology at a University Hospital in Croatia. High-speed videoendoscopy (HSV) images of the PES mucosa, an objective assessment of the voice, and a self-assessment questionnaire were analysed.

Results: HSV-based visualisation of PES was clearer in individuals who both self-rated their voice more positively and were rated similarly by a Speech and Language Therapist. The most common shape of PES during the open phase was split side-to-side. The Self-Evaluation of Communication Experiences after Laryngectomy (SECEL:HR) questionnaire showed that the majority of patients were well rehabilitated and satisfied with their voice. A significant correlation was found between the fundamental frequency (f_o), jitter and shimmer and the SECEL:HR questionnaire. The visibility and shape of the PES as well as the amount of saliva could be associated with the reported f_o and the quality of the TE voice.

Conclusion: A better insight into the phonatory movement of the PES mucosa in laryngectomised patients could allow us to better assess the patient's abilities and adjust the duration of voice therapy for each patient. However, due to the high variability of anatomical and morphological variations as well as acoustic measurements limiting the final results, further analyses are needed to clarify the different questions raised.

Introduction: This descriptive study investigated the immediate individual effects of intensive group speech intervention on speech, health-related quality of life, and satisfaction in adolescents born with a cleft (lip and) palate (CP ± L) in the Philippines.

Methods: Four Filipino adolescents with a repaired CP ± L (age range = 17 to 23 years) were included. They presented with at least one cleft-related speech sound error. They received 6 h of intensive group speech intervention over 4 consecutive days (i.e. 1 h and 30 min of therapy each day). Pre- and post-intervention outcomes were collected for speech, health-related quality of life, and satisfaction with group intervention. Individual participant data were reported.

Results: The speech of all four participants improved to a clinically relevant degree for the percentage correctly produced consonants (PCC). Speech understandability and acceptability also improved in every participant. PCC scores of two participants were on a level with peers following the group sessions.

Discussion: Speech and health-related quality of life outcomes improved in all four participants after intensive group intervention. However, not everyone reached the level of peers following 6 h of intervention. Participants who presented with a combination of cleft-related speech sound errors might have benefited from a larger intervention dosage.

Purpose: This clinically based study aimed to explore and describe language ability in 5-12-year-old children with new-onset epilepsy.Participants and methods: Twenty-one consecutively recruited children (eleven boys, ten girls) with new-onset epilepsy, were assessed using Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals, fourth edition (CELF-4) and additional tests for verbal fluency/word retrieval and phonology. In addition, caregivers rated their child's speech, language, and communication in everyday context. Based on available tests and clinical observation, an overall evaluation of language ability was made to distinguish children with language disorders and children with language difficulties from those with language abilities within the normal range. Language disorder was diagnosed following the ICD-10 criteria. The cutoff for language difficulties was set at 1 standard deviation below the normative mean on the CELF-4 Core Language Score and additional indices.

Results: Out of twenty-one children, ten (47.5%) met the criteria for a language disorder diagnosis according to ICD-10. Another five (24%) had language difficulties but did not meet the criteria for a language disorder diagnosis according to ICD-10. Hence a total of fifteen (71.5%) children had an impaired language ability affecting different domains of language, including receptive language, language memory, and semantic processing. The remaining six (28.5%) children had average language ability.

Conclusion: In this group of children with new-onset epilepsy, a large over-representation of co-existing language disorder and language difficulties was found. The findings suggest that specific language assessments for children with new-onset epilepsy are needed, to ensure that adequate interventions and support can be offered.

The everyday lives of young children with speech sound disorder (SSD) are not well described, with few studies taking a holistic view with interaction in focus. The aim of this study was to investigate how SSD affects communicative activity and participation in everyday life of four children in a Swedish context. The study involved 4 triads: 4 children with SSD aged 4 to 7, their parents (n = 4), grandmothers (n = 2) and pedagogues, i.e. preschool teachers (n = 2). The research design was a case series, including speech language tests, questionnaires and structured interviews. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) served as an analytical framework. Results showed reduced speech intelligibility in all children. Interrupted thought processes, tantrums and social withdrawal were negative effects of the SSD. Having a friend in the out-of-home environment was a facilitating factor, enabling the children with SSD use their full capacity in social interaction. When knowledge about SSD is shared in all environments, all forces that influence the child positively may be aligned in a collaborative effort and a holistic understanding can be reached. To accomplish this, ICF serves as a valuable conceptual framework.

Purpose: The analysis of acoustic parameters contributes to the characterisation of human communication development throughout the lifetime. The present paper intends to analyse suprasegmental features of European Portuguese in longitudinal conversational speech samples of three male public figures in uncontrolled environments across different ages, approximately 30 years apart.

Participants and methods: Twenty prosodic features concerning intonation, intensity, rhythm, and pause measures were extracted semi-automatically from 360 speech intervals (3-4 interviews from each speaker x 30 speech intervals x 3 speakers) lasting between 3 to 6 s.

Results: Twelve prosodic parameters presented significant age effects at least in one speaker. Group mean comparisons revealed significant differences between the youngest (i.e. 50 years) and the oldest age groups (i.e. 80 years) in seven parameters. The results from the analysis point to a lower and less variable fo, higher fo minimum, wider fo peaks, more vocal effort and more variable global intensity, slower speech and articulation rate, and also more frequent and longer pauses in older ages.

Conclusion: This longitudinal study has the potential to contribute to the characterization of the normal aging process, proving to be significant in the domains of human-machine communication, speech recognition systems, applied linguistics, or the implementation of strategies in communicative contexts with older adults.