Computerized voice therapy in hypofunctional dysphonia

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the efficiency and applicability of the Kay CSL 4500 system with the Sona-Speech II software model 3650 (Kay Pentax, Lincoln Park, NJ) in the voice therapy of patients affected by hypofunctional dysphonia. Design: The study evaluated the effect of visual biofeedback, obtained with the Sona-Speech II software, on dysphonia associated with hypofunction dysphonia. Setting: The study was conducted with 40 male adults affected by hypofunctional dysphonia in the Otolaryngology Department of the University of Genoa (Italy) between April 2008 and April 2009. Methods: Before, at the end of, and 3 months after voice therapy, all subjects underwent an otolaryngology visit, videostroboscopy, and voice analysis through the Multi-Dimensional Voice Program (Kay Elemetrics, Lincoln Park, NJ) as an evaluation of nasal resonance and the Voice Handicap Index (VHI). Each cycle of rehabilitation was characterized by 30 daily consecutive sessions, each for 25 minutes. During each session, the patient was asked to perform specific computer exercises. Main Outcome Measures: The following acoustic parameters were estimated: average of fundamental frequency, percentage of jitter, shimmer, noise to harmonics ratio, voice turbulence index, soft phonation index, degree of voicelessness, degree of voice breaks, and peak amplitude variation. Results: Our data showed significant (p < .05) improvements in acoustic and other parameters in the patients submitted to voice therapy. Conclusions: Our preliminary results suggest the applicability and efficiency of the Kay CSL 4500 system in association with the Sona-Speech II software model 3650 in a voice therapy program.