A Comparison of Voice Activity and Participation Profiles Among Etiological Groups

• Published in: Journal of voice 2019-09, Vol.33 (5), p.804.e5-804.e12
• Main Authors: Lee, Seung Jin, Choi, Hong-Shik, Kim, HyangHee
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activity limitation; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Case-Control Studies; Etiology; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Participation restriction; Psychometric assessment; Psychometrics; Severity of Illness Index; Voice disorders; Voice Disorders - etiology; Voice Disorders - psychology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0892-1997; 1873-4588
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2018.04.016

The purpose of this study was to determine whether patients with functional voice disorders show voice activity and participation profiles different from those of the organic and neurogenic groups. The Korean Version of the Voice Activity and Participation Profile (K-VAPP) was administered to 200 participants (150 patients with functional, organic, and neurogenic voice disorders, 50 for each etiological group, 50 controls without vocal complaint). The K-VAPP subscale scores of the etiological groups were compared, controlling for age, professional use of voice, and severity of voice disorder measured by overall severity of the Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-V). Results of a one-way analysis of variance indicated significant differences in the overall severity across groups (neurogenic > functional = organic > control). Among four groups, the organic group showed higher mean Z-scores of the K-VAPP than the control group, and the functional group showed higher mean Z-scores of the K-VAPP than the organic group. Compared with the neurogenic group, the functional group showed lower mean Z-scores for total score, Activity Limitation Score, SUB3, and SUB5. A comparison among three etiological groups showed that the functional group did not show higher scores than the organic group. On the contrary, the functional group showed a lower total score, Participation Restriction Score, and score for subsection 3 (effect on daily communication) than the neurogenic group. Psychometric assessment of voice disorders using the K-VAPP could provide clinicians with baseline information that is applicable to various voice disorders. Further studies pertaining to the follow-up of voice disorders with various etiologies are needed to extend its clinical usefulness.