Evaluation of vocal changes after vestibular rehabilitation in patients with balance disorders

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Although there are articles and studies that associate postural changes with changes in vocal quality, to the best of our knowledge, this was the first study investigating the association between balance disorders and voice. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine whether patients with balance disorders present any clinical, acoustic, or endoscopic vocal changes, and if the correction of balance impairments, such as through vestibular rehabilitation, lead to improvement in vocal quality. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study that analyzed vocal differences (clinical, videoendostroboscopic, audio-perceptual, and acoustic vocal parameters) in a sample of 43 patients with vestibular dysfunction at three different time points (pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 3 months’ post-treatment) diagnosed by videonystagmography with changes in computerized dynamic posturography who were treated with vestibular rehabilitation. RESULTS: In pre-treatment, all of the patients presented supraglottic hyperfunction during videoendoscopic examination and abnormal values in the audio-perceptual scale. After treatment for balance disorders, there was a statistically significant improvement in some parameters of the videoendoscopic and audio-perceptual measures. These improvements were detected immediately after treatment and remained present until at least three months after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that the treatment for balance disorders results in changes in posture and consequently in voice quality.

Trattamento combinato della disfonia muscolo tensiva: terapia logopedica e riabilitazione posturale strumentale

“…Our results are in agreement with those of Bruno et al 4 and Caçador et al 6 , 20 who showed that posturographic values in dysphonic patients at baseline were within normal ranges. On the contrary, Nacci et al 5 and Lobryeau-Desnus et al 9 found postural alterations in baseline conditions with a significant improvement in the stabilometric parameters after speech rehabilitation.…”

“…Our results after therapy with the vestibular instrumental technique for rehabilitation are also in agreement with Caçador et al 20 , who investigated the association between voice and balance disorders. The study analysed vocal differences (clinical, video-endostroboscopic, audio-perceptual and acoustic vocal parameters) in patients with vestibular dysfunction treated with vestibular rehabilitation.…”

“…The rationale for the new type of treatment proposed is based on literature data on postural changes after voice treatment in subjects with dysfunctional dysphonia 4-6 , and in particular on the positive effects that treatment for balance disorders has on voice quality 20 .…”

The Relationship between Posture and Muscle Tensive Dysphonia in Teachers: A Systematic Scoping Review

“…It was related to an improvement in vocal parameters found by the patients with the VHI. In a study not included in this review, the authors improved the quality of the voice indirectly [ 47 ]. They did it with a treatment for balance disorders that improved posture [ 47 ].…”

“…In a study not included in this review, the authors improved the quality of the voice indirectly [ 47 ]. They did it with a treatment for balance disorders that improved posture [ 47 ]. This highlights the importance of a postural treatment to act, indirectly, to the voice.…”