The Voice-Related Quality Of Life: A Study on the Reliability and Validity of the Tamil Version

Concordance in bacterial colonization profiles between voice prostheses and oral microbiota post-laryngectomy: An experimental study

OBJECTIVE

Knowledge about voice prosthesis microbial colonization is vital in laryngectomized patients' quality of life (QoL). Herein, we aimed to explore the relationship between oral microbial patterns, demographic variables and voice prosthesis performance.

METHODS

Thirty laryngectomy patients were assessed for microbial colonization in their voice prostheses and oral cavities. Factors like age, proton pump inhibitor (PPI) usage, and alcohol consumption were considered.

RESULTS

Participants' average age was 74.20 ± 7.31 years, with a majority on PPIs. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common bacterium in prostheses (53 %), followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (27 %). Candida albicans was the primary fungal colonizer (67 %). A statistically significant moderate correlation was found between fungal species before and after oral rinsing (p = 0.035, Phi=0.588, Cramer's V = 0.416). Voice prosthesis and oral cavity microbiota profiles showed significant concordance (kappa=0.315, p < 0.004). Among subgroup analyses, bacterial patterns of colonization did not significantly influence VHI (p = 0.9555), VrQoL (p = 0.6610), or SF-36 (p = 0.509) scores. Conversely, fungal patterns of VP colonization significantly impacted subjective voice scores, with Candida krusei demonstrating better VHI (35.25 ± 3.63 vs. 44.54 ± 6.33; p = 0.008), VrQoL (7.13 ± 1.69 vs. 10.73 ± 2.00; p = 0.001), and SF-36 (69.36 ± 7.09 vs. 76.50 ± 7.73; p = 0.051) scores compared to C. albicans.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a significant correlation between the oral microbiota and voice prosthesis colonization. These insights can inform improved care strategies for voice prostheses, enhancing patient outcomes.

Reliability and Validity of the Mandarin Version of the Voice-Related Quality of Life (MV-RQOL) Measure

OBJECTIVES

The reliability and validity of the Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL) measure has been conducted in languages other than Mandarin. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the reliability and validity of the Mandarin version of the V-RQOL (MV-RQOL) questionnaire.

METHODS

The MV-RQOL was completed by a total of 57 participants, including 27 individuals with voice disorders (VD) and 30 individuals without voice disorders (NVD). Statistical analyses were carried out to evaluate the validity, reliability, reproducibility, and the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was also derived.

RESULTS

Statistical analyses demonstrated the MV-RQOL has strong internal consistency. The test-retest reliability was found to be high as well. There was a significant difference between the groups with and without voice disorders. The NVD group had higher scores compared with the VD group for the overall MV-RQOL score and for the 2 domains. In addition, the scores between males and females showed no significant differences. A significant difference was found between the MV-RQOL scores of individuals who defined their voices as good and very good, and those who defined their voices as poor and fair. Area under the curve value from ROC curve was found to be 0.994. The optimal cutoff value was found to be 85.00, with sensitivity of 96.7% and specificity of 96.3%.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the results, it can be suggested that the MV-RQOL measure is a reliable and valid self-assessment tool, that discriminates well between patients with and without voice disorders, in the Taiwanese population.

Subjective Perception and Psychoacoustic Aspects of the Laryngectomee Voice: The Impact on Quality of Life

Purpose: A retrospective study is presented to correlate the inter-judge consistency for the different psycho-perceptual parameters of the recently proposed Impression Noise Fluency Voicing (INFVo) perceptual rating scale for substitution voices, and the vocal function as perceived by the patient. Methods: The scale Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQoL) and the Self Evaluation of Communication Experiences After Laryngectomy scale (SECEL)—a self-evaluation questionnaire of communicative experience after laryngectomy surgery—were administered to 89 total laryngectomees, subdivided in four groups depending on their type of alaryngeal voice (i.e., tracheoesophageal and esophageal speakers, electro larynx users, voiceless patients), in order to evaluate the impact of the impairment of the phonatory function on the quality of life. Results: No significant differences exist among the various groups on their perception of QoL using subjective questionnaires, whereas the INFVo scale has proven to be a useful tool for the description and analysis of the psychoacoustic characteristics of the vocal signal and a reliable instrument to correctly classify the patients. It is also notable that the judgement of the patients on their own voice and those of the referees are highly significant. Conclusion: Although speech rehabilitation for the acquisition of a substitution voice offers a new way of communication for the laryngectomized patients, nonetheless, their QoL is not significantly related to the type of substitution voice. Therefore, improving the patient’s adaptation to the new phonatory condition is mandatory.