Biobehavioral Measures of Presbylaryngeus.
Vrushali Angadi, Colleen McMullen, Richard Andreatta and 3 others
PMID 30503609WHAT IT FOUND
Older adults with age-related vocal fold changes had worse voice ratings, reflux symptoms, and lower physical activity than peers, but many differences were not significant and the study was small.
Key findings
01The presbylaryngeus group had significantly worse auditory-perceptual voice ratings for overall severity, roughness, breathiness, and strain.
02Physical activity was significantly lower in the presbylaryngeus group than in the non-presbylaryngeus group.
03Reflux symptom scores were significantly worse in the presbylaryngeus group than in the non-presbylaryngeus group.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
With 53 participants and many variables, the sample was small, and the authors state this limits generalizability. It was a single observational visit, so it cannot show that any measure caused, predicted, or reversed presbylaryngeus. The analysis used differences from normative means or thresholds to handle sex differences, and the authors state the study did not allow examination of differences between the sexes. No treatment was tested, so the findings cannot tell therapists what to do differently for voice care.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. Funding is not reported in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the regression variables as a clinical test for presbylaryngeus. This was a small preliminary study with many measures, and it did not show that changing CRP, physical activity, or airway resistance caused or fixed the voice condition.