Reflux symptoms and vocal characteristics in adults with non-organic voice disorders.
Nyasa E Groenewald, Maria Du Toit, Marien A Graham and 3 others
PMID 36331218WHAT IT FOUND
Reflux symptom scores rose with caffeine intake, voice handicap, and glottal function measures.
Abnormal vocal fold phase closure on stroboscopy was also linked to higher reflux scores. These correlations were fair, not strong, so reflux symptoms alone cannot confirm laryngopharyngeal reflux in voice patients.
Key findings
01Higher reflux symptom scores correlated with excessive caffeine intake, the voice handicap index physical subscale, and the glottal function index.
02Patients with abnormal vocal fold phase closure scored higher on the reflux symptom index than those with normal closure.
03Perceptual voice ratings of grade and strain correlated moderately with acoustic jitter and voice handicap scores.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study used only initial assessment data to avoid treatment effects, which limits understanding of how these relationships change over time. The sample was small, with only 51 participants analysed from a larger database, which restricted the types of statistical tests used. The speech-language therapist scoring voice quality was not blinded to patient history, which may have influenced the perceptual ratings. The study took place in a private healthcare setting, which may not reflect the broader population of people with voice disorders. The correlations found were mostly fair, meaning the measures do not strongly predict each other.
Declared interests
The authors declare no financial or personal relationships with other people or organisations that could inappropriately influence their work. The study was conducted at a private hospital in South Africa, and permission was obtained from the ENT specialist at the clinic to analyse the existing database.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat the reflux symptom index as a standalone diagnostic tool for laryngopharyngeal reflux. The correlations with vocal characteristics were fair, not strong, and the authors state that further research is needed to determine if these measures actually improve diagnostic accuracy.