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Purpose: The Vocal Tract Discomfort Scale (VTD Scale) is a self-rating questionnaire investigating physical symptoms in the larynx associated with vocal pathology. The aim of this work was to investigate the reliability, validity, sensitivity, and specificity of the first German version and to provide normative data with thresholds for pathology and a scaling scheme. Study Design: A retrospective multicenter study was performed. Method: A total of 571 participants (409 female and 162 male), with a mean age of 47.2 years, were recruited at three German centers; of these, there were 447 participants with voice disorder and 124 vocally healthy participants. The clinical examination consisted of patient history, visual laryngeal examination, acoustic and aerodynamic assessment, perceptual analysis by the Grading-Roughness-Breathiness-Asthenia-Strain Scale, and subjective evaluation using the VTD Scale and the Voice Handicap Index (VHI). Statistics included group comparisons (t test and analysis of variance), Pearson correlation coefficient (between VTD Scale and VHI), and Cronbach's alpha to assess validity and reliability. Analysis of receiver operating characteristics was performed to examine VTD Scale's discriminatory ability and provide a cutoff score. Additionally, percentiles were applied to provide VTD Scale ranges. Results: There were highly significant differences between healthy participants and participants with voice disorder regarding the total score and both subscales of the VTD Scale. Internal consistency was excellent ([alpha] = 0.928). We found moderate, positive correlation between the VTD Scale and VHI (? = 0.596, p < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristics analysis showed an area under the curve of 0.876 (p < 0.001, 95% confidence interval [0.846, 0.906]). VTD Scale ranges were no (score: 0-13), mild (score: 14-26), moderate (score: 27-40), and severe (score: 41-96) disorder. Conclusions: Results confirm an excellent reliability and validity of the German VTD Scale. It provides additional and independent diagnostic information and is a useful instrument to complement voice assessment. The scaling into four severity subgroups allows the tool to be used for screening patients and considers a transferral to a voice specialist.

Purpose: Observational study to determine if the voice-related self-concept as measured via the Fragebogen zur Erfassung des Stimmlichen Selbstkonzepts FESS (questionnaire for the assessment of the voice self-concept) can be improved through in-patient voice therapy. Methods: 234 female and 80 male patients that underwent an intensive 3- to 4-week in-patient voice treatment due to varying types of dysphonia. After imputation of missing items but not missing questionnaires, 255 patients were eligible for FESS evaluation, 313 for VHI-12 evaluation. The German questionnaire for the assessment of the voice self-concept (FESS) and the German 12-item short-form of the Voice Handicap Index (VHI-12) were administered at the beginning and at the end of the hospital stay. Before–after comparisons are made visually and via t test. Results: The Voice Handicap was significantly reduced, demonstrating the effectiveness of the administered therapy. Of the three scales of the FESS, the relationship with one's own voice and the awareness of the use of one's own voice was increased and thus improved. The connection between voice and emotional changes decreased significantly but only slightly. Conclusion: Conservative voice rehabilitation can not only reduce the voice handicap, but also improve the voice self-concept and the results can be measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The present trial investigated the D.E.L.P.H.I.N. (Deblockierungsimpuls, Entspannung, Logopädie, Phonetik, Hör-Wahrnehmungstraining, Intensität, nasaler Schwingungsakzent) speech treatment for children and adolescents who stutter, an approach using fluency shaping with an intensive time schedule and group sessions. Methods: Participants were 42 male and 14 female persons who stuttered with a median age of 13.0 years. Participants and their parents completed the strength and difficulties questionnaire at the beginning of the therapy and 1 year later. Participants completed the Speech Questionnaire, an instrument to measure the impact of stuttering, twice before and twice after completing the therapy. The stuttering rate and mean length of the three longest stuttering events were studied four times in videos of interviews, reading texts and three telephone calls. Outcomes are reported for the 56 children and young adults who stuttered and who completed D.E.L.P.H.I.N. The main analysis was performed using linear mixed models. Results: Quality of life as measured in the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) - filled in by the participants/their parents - increased significantly from before the start of the therapy to 1 year after completion of the therapy. The subjective rating of the impact of stuttering also improved significantly. The stuttering rate and mean length of the longest stuttering event decreased significantly for all three modes from pre-treatment to 12 months post-treatment. Conclusions: After D.E.L.P.H.I.N., a significant improvement of the relevant endpoints quality of life, impact of stuttering, and severity of stuttering is observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multichannel non-linear frequency compression algorithm was evaluated in comparison to conventional amplification hearing aids using a test of speech understanding in noise (Oldenburger Satztest—OLSA) and subjective questionnaires. The new algorithm compresses frequencies above a pre-calculated cut off frequency and shifts them to a lower frequency range, thereby providing high-frequency audibility. Low-frequencies, below the compression cut off frequency, are amplified normally. This algorithm is called SoundRecover (SR). In this study, 11 experienced hearing aid users with a severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss were tested. Seven subjects showed enhanced levels of understanding in noise (OLSA) using frequency compression. However, 4 out of the 11 subjects could not benefit from the high-frequency gain. Evaluation using questionnaires demonstrated an increased level of satisfaction after 2 months of experimental devices wearing ( p = 0.08) and after 4 months of wearing ( p = 0.09), respectively, compared to conventional hearing instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background and Aims: Newborn hearing screening and early intervention for congenital hearing loss have created a need for tools assessing the hearing development of very young children. A multidisciplinary evaluation of children''s development is now becoming standard in clinical practice, though not many reliable diagnostic instruments exist. For this reason, the LittlEARS® Auditory Questionnaire (LEAQ) was created to assess the auditory skills of a growing population of infants and toddlers who receive hearing instruments. The LEAQ relies on parent report, which has been shown to be a reliable way of assessing child development. Results with this tool in a group of children who received very early cochlear implantation are presented. Methods: The LEAQ is the first module of the LittlEARS® comprehensive test battery for children under the age of two who have normal hearing (NH), cochlear implants (CIs) or hearing aids (HAs). The LEAQ is a parent questionnaire comprised of 35 “yes/no” questions which can be completed by parents in less than 10min. Sixty-three children who received unilateral CIs at a young age were assessed longitudinally and their performance was compared to that of a NH group. Results: All CI children reached the maximum possible score on the LEAQ on average by 22 months of hearing age, i.e. 38 months of chronological age. In comparison, the NH group reached the maximum score by 24 months of age demonstrating that auditory skills of CI children often develop quicker than those of NH children. In the two comparison groups of children aged (a) younger and older than 12 months, and (b) between 6–9 and 21–24 months at first fitting, the early implanted children reached the highest scores faster than the later implanted children. Furthermore, three children with additional needs were tested. They showed slower growth over time but also received benefits from early implantation. Conclusions: The LEAQ is a quick and effective tool for assessing auditory skills of very young children with or without hearing loss. In our study, the auditory skills of children with CI progressed very quickly after implantation and were comparable with those of NH peers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]