A Multimodal Study of Vocal Function in Individuals with Asthma versus Controls: A Preliminary Investigation

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this preliminary study was to investigate the laryngeal, acoustic, aerodynamic, and perceptual changes secondary to asthma and the routine use of inhaled corticosteroids in individuals without voice disorder compared to controls. Methods: In a prospective, multimodality, between group study design, videolaryngostroboscopic (VLS) imaging, acoustic data, aerodynamic measures, and perceptual ratings were collected from fifteen consented participants (ages 20-29), five with asthma who take a regular inhaled corticosteroid and ten controls. VLS imaging was collected to differences in laryngeal tissue appearance and function. Acoustic measures included fundamental frequency (f0), harmonic-tonoise ratio (HNR), speaking fundamental frequency (sf0), and cepstral peak prominence (CPP). Phonation threshold pressure (PTP) was collected as an aerodynamic measure. Perceptual measures included consensus rating of Overall Severity on the Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-V), the Voice Handicap Index (VHI), the Rating-of-Fatigue (ROF) Scale, and the OMNI-Vocal Effort Scale (OMNI-VES). Results: Higher presence of erythematous coloration, vascularity, and mucus were described in the asthma group when compared with controls. PTP was higher in individuals with asthma than controls. Perceptual results were higher in individuals with asthma on the VHI, but scores were comparable between groups on the ROF Scale or OMNI-VES. Acoustic parameters and CAPE-V rating of Overall Severity were comparable between groups. Conclusion: The results of this preliminary investigation partially supported the hypotheses that laryngeal appearance and vocal function would differ in individuals with asthma who regularly take inhaled corticosteroids but deny voice disorder when compared to controls. Further study is needed.