Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32862670›Full record

ArticleThe Annals of otology, rhinology, and laryngology2021

Does Voice Therapy Improve Vocal Outcomes in Vocal Fold Atrophy?

Emma Bick, Lukas D Dumberger, Douglas R Farquhar, Heather Davis, Elizabeth Ramsey, Robert A Buckmire, Rupali N Shah

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Annals of otology, rhinology, and laryngology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 21% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 24 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Glottic insufficiency caused by vocal fold atrophy with or without sulcus: systematic review of outcome measurements.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2024
    Pooled it
  2. Treatment Durability of Injection Augmentation of Vocal Fold Atrophy.Laryngoscope investigative otolaryngology · 2025
    Article
  3. The Elderly Voice: Mechanisms, Disorders and Treatment Methods.Turkish archives of otorhinolaryngology · 2022
    Review
  4. Review
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Emma BickUniversity of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5309-6654
Lukas D DumbergerUniversity of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3831-8949
Douglas R FarquharDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Heather DavisUNC Hospitals Hearing and Voice Center, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Elizabeth RamseyUniversity of North Carolina Health Care, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Robert A BuckmireDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Rupali N ShahDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · USUniversity of North Carolina Health Care · US

Funding

UNC-CH Summer Research Training in Aging for Medical StudentsT35AG038047 · NIA · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · PI JAN BUSBY-WHITEHEAD · 2010 to 2026
$1.4M
NIA NIH HHS T35 AG038047
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesVocal fold atrophy is increasingly identified in the geriatric population. Current literature shows varying outcomes with voice therapy. Our goal was to analyze multidimensional vocal outcomes of these patients who underwent voice therapy. Secondary aims included determining compliance and analyzing differences in patients who undergo surgery.

methods197 patients with vocal fold atrophy were included and reviewed. Patients were categorized by treatment received. Patient-reported, perceptual, aerodynamic, and acoustic voice outcomes were analyzed before and after therapeutic intervention. Changes were calculated and significance determined using Wilcoxon signed-rank and rank-sum tests.

results89(45%) received no therapy, 43(22%) incomplete therapy, 51(26%) complete therapy, 8(4%) surgery only, and 6(3%) therapy followed by surgery. Those who completed voice therapy showed significant improvement in voice related quality of life (VRQOL) (

conclusionsOnly 29% of patients with vocal atrophy completed voice therapy when recommended. Within this patient cohort, voice therapy results in significant improvement in multidimensional voice outcomes. Patients with vocal atrophy that undergo surgical treatment differ from those treated with voice therapy alone in their pre-treatment patient-reported measures.

Indexed as

Voice TrainingAgedAged, 80 and overAgingAtrophyDysphoniaFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPhonationQuality of LifeRetrospective StudiesVocal CordsVoice Qualityaging voicedysphoniapresbyphoniavocal fold atrophyvoice therapy

Identifiers

PMID32862670
PMCPMC9969873
OpenAlexW3082978457

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.