Aerodynamic Patterns in Patients With Voice Disorders: A Retrospective Study

SummaryObjectiveA recently published retrospective chart review of aerodynamic profiles of women with primary muscle tension dysphonia by Gillespie et al (2013) identified various relationships between mean airflow rate (MFR) and estimated subglottal pressure (est-Psub). The current retrospective study expanded the diagnostic categories to include all voice disorders referred for voice therapy. Three research questions were proposed: (1) Are there differences in the MFR and the est-Psub compared with the normal control group? (2) Within the disordered population, are there different variations in the pairing of MFR and est-Psub? (3) If these variations exist, are they diagnosis specific?MethodsA retrospective chart review of patients seen for acoustic and aerodynamic voice assessment at the Emory Voice Center between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2014, were examined for aerodynamic measures of est-Psub and MFR; of these, 192 met the inclusion criteria. Simple t test, two-step cluster analysis, and analysis of variance, as well as Tukey multiple comparisons, were performed using R and SPSS.ResultsMean est-Psub was significantly greater in the group with voice disorder than in the control group (P value < 0.001). However, no statistical significance was found when comparing the MFR with the control group (P value <0.59). Nine possible pairings of MFR and est-Psub were found. Sufficient evidence was not found to detect significant differences in these pairings across diagnostic groups.ConclusionWith regard to the rate and interrelationships of MFR and est-Psub, the findings of this study are similar to those of Gillespie et al, that is, MFR and est-Psub are not determinate of diagnosis.