The expectation exists that the processes of the ENT voice clinic may be enhanced by routine instrumental qualification of laryngeal phonatory function. Objective data collection by a running hospital service is constrained by functional criteria. In addition the data must be of clinical value.
In Edinburgh Royal Infirmary voice clinic each patient interview seeks to be completed in 20 minutes with only 5 minutes available for objective measurements. Rationalisation is necessary. Objective data is accumulated under computer management of the clinic. A single sustained /ae/ vowel is used for acoustic measurements and a single hummed tone is used for electroglottograph (EGG) measurements.
The quality of the measured results is still fundamentally defined by the clinician's subjective evaluation of the patient's potential voice quality. The patient is challenged to phonate at the highest quality possible at an arbitrary middle speech pitch and arbitrary intensity by subjective judgement.
The aim is not to establish voice quality by measurement nor to indicate a specific pathology by measurement but to identify the manner and degree of the functional deterioration caused by pathology or dysphonia and over its course to cure. The objective measures are being carried out in order to evaluate the mechanical functional performance of the larynx and the impact of clinical intervention.
The emphasis is upon association with a functional model. This is what the ENT surgeon requires to understand the functional implications of phonosurgery.
This paper presents some objective data accumulated within a six month segment of the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh voice clinic database (CLINDAT). In order to discuss this data it will help to describe a functional model for the phonating larynx.
Cite as: Watson, C., Maran, A.G.D. (1997) Realistic and non realistic expectations for some routine objective measurements in the ENT voice clinic. Proc. LARYNX 1997, 77-82
@inproceedings{watson97_larynx,
author={C. Watson and A. G. D. Maran},
title={{Realistic and non realistic expectations for some routine objective measurements in the ENT voice clinic}},
year=1997,
booktitle={Proc. LARYNX 1997},
pages={77--82}
}