Abstract:ObjectiveTo explore the acoustic characteristics of neurogenic unilateral vocal cord paralysis with vocal acoustic analysis and study the application value of videostrobokymography (VSK) in the evaluation of vocal cord vibration in patients with vocal cord paralysis.MethodsVoice acoustic analysis was applied to 22 patients of neurogenic unilateral vocal cord paralysis (paralysis group) and 30 healthy subjects (control group). Kymograms were created via stroboscopic video record in all the patients. The application values of the two methods in the diagnosis of vocal cord paralysis were analyzed.ResultsVoice acoustic analysis showed that the jitter and shimmer of the paralysis group were higher than those of the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (both P<0.05). The F0 of the paralysis group was slightly lower than that of the control group, but the difference was statistically insignificant (P>0.05). The pathologic spectrograph showed that the harmonic waves were decreased or absent at medium and high frequencies, the second and third formants (F2 and F3) almost disappeared with increased noise. At low frequencies, harmonic waves and the formant (F1) existed with irregularity and interruption. The maximum phonation time (MPT) of the paralysis group was obviously shorter than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). VSK revealed that the vocal phase was symmetrical with regular mucosal waves in the control group and glottal closure could not be observed in the paralysis group. The value of open quotient (OQ) of the paralysis group was 1 which was much higher than that of the control group (0.48).ConclusionsVoice acoustic analysis can be used to objectively evaluate the acoustic characteristics of neurogenic unilateral vocal cord paralysis. VSK is a valid means to estimate the vocal cord vibration in patients with vocal cord paralysis.
