Reliability of OperaVOXTM against Multi-Dimensional Voice Program to Assess Voice Quality before and after Laryngeal Microsurgery in Patient with Vocal Polyp

Background and Objectives@#OperaVOXTM (Oxford Wave Research Ltd.) is a portable voice analysis software package designed for use with iOS devices. As a relatively cheap, portable and easily accessible form of acoustic analysis, OperaVOXTM may be more clinically useful than laboratory-based software in many situations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the agreement between OperaVOXTM and Multi-Dimensional Voice Program (MDVP; Computerized Speech Lab) to assess voice quality before and after laryngeal microsurgery in patient with vocal polyp.Materials and Method Twenty patients who had undergone laryngeal microsurgery for vocal polyp were enrolled in this study. Preoperative and postoperative voices were assessed by acoustic analysis using MDVP and OperaVOXTM. A five-seconds recording of vowel /a/ was used to measure fundamental frequency (F0), jitter, shimmer and noise-to-harmonic ratio (NHR). @*Results@#Several acoustic parameters of MDVP and OperaVOXTM related to short-term variability showed significant improvement. While pre-operative value of F0, jitter, shimmer, NHR was 155.75 Hz (male: 125.37 Hz, female: 183.37 Hz), 2.20%, 6.28%, 0.16, post-operative values of these parameter was 164.34 Hz (male: 129.42 Hz, female: 199.26 Hz), 2.15%, 5.18%, 0.14 Hz in MDVP. While pre-operative value of F0, jitter, shimmer, NHR was 168.26 Hz (male: 135.16 Hz, female: 201.37 Hz), 2.27%, 6.95%, 0.26, post-operative values of these parameters was 162.72 Hz (male: 128.267 Hz, female: 197.18 Hz), 1.71%, 5.36%, 0.20 in OperaVOXTM. There was high intersoftware agreement for F0, jitter, shimmer with intraclass correlation coefficient. @*Conclusion@#Our results showed that the short-term variability of acoustic parameters in both MDVP and OperaVOXTM were useful for the objective assessment of voice quality in patients who received laryngeal microsurgery. OperaVOXTM is comparable to MDVP and has high intersoftware reliability with MDVP in measuring the F0, jitter, and shimmer.

Reliability of OperaVOXTM against Multi-Dimensional Voice Program to Assess Voice Quality before and after Laryngeal Microsurgery in Patient with Vocal Polyp

Background and Objectives@#OperaVOXTM (Oxford Wave Research Ltd.) is a portable voice analysis software package designed for use with iOS devices. As a relatively cheap, portable and easily accessible form of acoustic analysis, OperaVOXTM may be more clinically useful than laboratory-based software in many situations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the agreement between OperaVOXTM and Multi-Dimensional Voice Program (MDVP; Computerized Speech Lab) to assess voice quality before and after laryngeal microsurgery in patient with vocal polyp.Materials and Method Twenty patients who had undergone laryngeal microsurgery for vocal polyp were enrolled in this study. Preoperative and postoperative voices were assessed by acoustic analysis using MDVP and OperaVOXTM. A five-seconds recording of vowel /a/ was used to measure fundamental frequency (F0), jitter, shimmer and noise-to-harmonic ratio (NHR). @*Results@#Several acoustic parameters of MDVP and OperaVOXTM related to short-term variability showed significant improvement. While pre-operative value of F0, jitter, shimmer, NHR was 155.75 Hz (male: 125.37 Hz, female: 183.37 Hz), 2.20%, 6.28%, 0.16, post-operative values of these parameter was 164.34 Hz (male: 129.42 Hz, female: 199.26 Hz), 2.15%, 5.18%, 0.14 Hz in MDVP. While pre-operative value of F0, jitter, shimmer, NHR was 168.26 Hz (male: 135.16 Hz, female: 201.37 Hz), 2.27%, 6.95%, 0.26, post-operative values of these parameters was 162.72 Hz (male: 128.267 Hz, female: 197.18 Hz), 1.71%, 5.36%, 0.20 in OperaVOXTM. There was high intersoftware agreement for F0, jitter, shimmer with intraclass correlation coefficient. @*Conclusion@#Our results showed that the short-term variability of acoustic parameters in both MDVP and OperaVOXTM were useful for the objective assessment of voice quality in patients who received laryngeal microsurgery. OperaVOXTM is comparable to MDVP and has high intersoftware reliability with MDVP in measuring the F0, jitter, and shimmer.

Development of Differential Diagnosis Scale Items for Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia and Evaluation of Clinical Availability

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES@#The purpose of this study was to develop the differential diagnosis scale containing items from adductor spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD) to muscle tension dysphonia (MTD) and the determine clinical utility of newly developed items.MATERIALS AND METHOD: The four parts of pitch, redirected phonation, automatic speech and voiced sound were selected for analyzing the characteristics of ADSD in the literature. One part of tense voiceless sound was developed according to the Korean manner of articulation. The content validity was evaluated based on 5 scales (1–5 point) analysis from 30 experts. One hundred patients (50 ADSD and 50 MTD) were recorded in reading a sentence and sustained phonation. The two speech language pathologist evaluated recorded voices through a blind test using 4 scales (0–3 point) for newly developed items.@*RESULTS@#As a result of verifying the content validity of items with experts, it was identified that the differentiated items were valid with 4.2 out of 5. Through the differential diagnosis between two groups according to the items, the correlation between sub-domains and total scores was shown as higher than 0.710. The result of analyzing the reliability on each diagnosis domain was 0.840–0.893, which showed the internal consistency of items was great. Newly developed five parts of ADSD were significantly higher than those of MTD with strong correlation (p<0.01). The reliability among the evaluators was analyzed as high with 0.892.@*CONCLUSION@#In this study, the differential diagnosis scale of ADSD was revealed as having validity and reliability. It is considered that it will be useful for differentiating ADSD and MTD in the clinical field.

Differentiation of Adductor-Type Spasmodic Dysphonia from Muscle Tension Dysphonia Using Spectrogram

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Adductor type spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD) is neurogenic disorder and focal laryngeal dystonia, while muscle tension dysphonia (MTD) is caused by functional voice disorder. Both ADSD and MTD may be associated with excessive supraglottic contraction and compensation, resulting in a strained voice quality with spastic voice breaks. The aim of this study was to determine the utility of spectrogram analysis in the differentiation of ADSD from MTD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 2015 through 2017, 17 patients of ADSD and 20 of MTD, underwent acoustic recording and phonatory function studies, were enrolled. Jitter (frequency perturbation), Shimmer (amplitude perturbation) were obtained using MDVP (Multi-dimensional Voice Program) and GRBAS scale was used for perceptual evaluation. The two speech therapist evaluated a wide band (11,250 Hz) spectrogram by blind test using 4 scales (0–3 point) for four spectral findings, abrupt voice breaks, irregular wide spaced vertical striations, well defined formants and high frequency spectral noise. RESULTS: Jitter, Shimmer and GRBAS were not found different between two groups with no significant correlation (p>0.05). Abrupt voice breaks and irregular wide spaced vertical striations of ADSD were significantly higher than those of MTD with strong correlation (p < 0.01). High frequency spectral noise of MTD were higher than those of ADSD with strong correlation (p < 0.01). Well defined formants were not found different between two groups. CONCLUSION: The wide band spectrograms provided visual perceptual information can differentiate ADSD from MTD. Spectrogram analysis is a useful diagnostic tool for differentiating ADSD from MTD where perceptual analysis and clinical evaluation alone are insufficient.

Deep vein thrombosis after spine operation in prone position with subclavian venous catheterization: a case report / 대한마취과학회지

We experienced a case of deep vein thrombosis after spine surgery in the prone position with a central venous catheter (CVC). Posterior lumbar interbody fusion was performed on a 73-year-old female patient who was diagnosed with spinal stenosis. Accordingly, in the operation room under general anesthesia, two-lumen CVC were inserted into the left subclavian vein. The surgery was performed in the prone position with a Wilson frame. On the next day, there was a sudden occurrence of severe edema in the patient's left arm. By ultrasonography and computed tomography scanning, extensive deep vein thrombosis was observed in the left subclavian vein. The existence of a factor affecting blood flow such as the prone position may increase the risk of thrombus formation. Therefore, careful perioperative evaluation should be implemented.

Clinical Study of Pediatric Ocular Injury Patients Visiting an Emergency Medical Center

PURPOSE: Ocular injury is a significant problem in pediatric patients. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate clinical characteristics of pediatric eye injury for the purpose of offering preventive strategies. METHODS: This retrospective study was carried out by evaluating the records of patients under the age of 15 years who were treated for ocular injury at the Kyungpook National University Hospital emergency medical center, from January 2003 to December 2008. A total of 477 patients were included in the study. Age, sex, date of injury, location where injury occurred, cause of injury, diagnosis, any effects on visual acuity, and any complications, were analyzed. RESULTS: Ocular injury occurred more frequently in boys (72.3%) than in girls, and the highest incidence was seen in ages 11 to 15 years (37.3%). Ocular injury frequently occurred in the home or at school. The most common cause of injury was due to instruments (51.6%). Surgery was necessary in 71 patients (14.9%), complication developed in 48 patients (10.1%), and 40 patients (8.4%) suffered from decreased visual acuity. CONCLUSION: It's important to monitor boys, in particular, who are engaged in physical activities in the home and at school. Appropriate education and application of personal protective equipment are important methods to aid in prevention of pediatric ocular trauma, especially with children in the home and with adolescents engaged in sporting activities.

Effects of an Exercise Program on Physical Functions and Quality of Life for Mastectomy Patients / 여성건강간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an exercise program on physical function and quality of life of mastectomy patients. METHOD: This study was conducted from October, 2004 to June, 2005. The subjects consisted of 60 patients with breast cancer(30 each in the experimental and control groups). The subjects in the experimental group participated in an exercise program for 16 weeks. Evaluation was performed four times in both the experimental and control group. RESULTS: The results revealed an increase in physical function in the experimental group including wrist circumstance, function of shoulder joint, stretching, and upper endurance. Also, an increase in function scales in quality of life were significantly higher in the experimental group than the control group. In addition subjective comments on how they felt after participating in the exercise program were good in the experimental group. CONCLUSION: The 16-week exercise program showed a large positive effect on physical function and quality of life of breast cancer patients after a mastectomy.

Development of an Exercise Program for Postmastectomy Patient / 여성건강간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop an exercise program for postmastectomy patients. METHOD: This study was conducted from October, 2003 to June, 2004. The exercise program was developed based on literature review and needs assessment using focus group interviews. The subjects for the focus group interview consisted of 11 patients, 13 recovering patients, and 20 nurses from 3 hospitals. Development of the program was proceeded with analysusm design and development steps. RESULT: The results of the needs assessment using the focus group interview showed that the exercise program was imperative for postmastectomy patients. Based on the results, a home video tape containing 3 steps, was developed. Each step includes warming-up, stretching, the main exercise, and cool-down. Steps 2 and 3 include exercises with an elastic band, and an elastic ball. The program was modified after conducting a pre-test. A self-checklist including shoulder mobility, hand strength, arm volume and subjective comments on how they feel will be used before and after the exercise program. CONCLUSION: The exercise program will improve breast cancer patients' quality of life and their physical well-being. Further studies are recommended to test the effectiveness of the exercise program.

Development of Zosteriform Models in Skin and Vagina of Mice using Herpes simplex Virus Strain MeKrae

No abstract available.