Differential Effects of Voice Therapies on Neurovegetative Symptoms and Complaints

SummaryIn previous studies, female patients in all age categories with a nonorganic dysphonia were found to report significantly more autonomic symptoms and complaints than healthy controls. After voice therapy, there was a highly significant reduction in the amount of autonomic symptoms and complaints (related or not related to voice). The present prospective study with a matched control group is designed to test the hypothesis that a specific kind of therapy is more efficient than the usual approaches in reducing these neurovegetative symptoms and complaints. Two matched groups of 34 patients diagnosed with nonorganic dysphonia and referred for voice therapy answered a questionnaire of 46 questions with 3 subsets and a consistency control. They received either “coordination therapy” (CTh)—a holistic approach addressing functional, personal and emotional aspects—or a conventional voice therapy (approximately 15 sessions). All patients again filled in a similar questionnaire after approximately 6 months. After therapy, there is in general a highly significant reduction in the amount of autonomic symptoms and complaints (related or not related to voice), to such an extent that patients report on average no more general neurovegetative symptoms and complaints than those of healthy controls. Symptoms and complaints of other nature (validity control) are not influenced. When compared with patients receiving conventional therapy, those who received CTh demonstrate a significantly higher reduction for the subset “neurovegetative symptoms/complaints related to voice and speech.”