Authors: Vertigan AE, Theodoros DG, Winkworth AL, Gibson PG
Title: A Comparison of Two Approaches to the Treatment of Chronic Cough: Perceptual, Acoustic, and Electroglottographic Outcomes
Source: Journal Of Voice 2008 22(5): 581-589
Year: 2008
Research Design: Randomised Controlled Trial
Rating Score: 06/10
This rating is confirmed
Eligibility specified - Y
Random allocation - Y
Concealed allocation - Y
Baseline comparability - Y
Blind subjects - N
Blind therapists - N
Blind assessors - Y
Adequate follow-up - N
Intention-to-treat analysis - N
Between-group comparisons - Y
Point estimates and variability - Y
Abstract:

Summary: Voice problems have been reported to occur in association with chronic cough (CC) and can interfere with quality of life. Voice symptoms can improve following behavioral intervention for CC that persists despite medical management; however, formal measures of voice changes have not been reported. The aim of this study was to measure the changes in perceptual, acoustic, and electroglottographic voice characteristics after a SPEech Pathology Intervention Program for Chronic Cough (SPEICH-C) compared to a Healthy Lifestyle Education intervention program (HLE control). Eighty-two participants with CC that was refractory to medical management were randomly allocated to receive either the SPEICH-C or an HLE control. Participants in the SPEICH-C group demonstrated a significant reduction in perceptual ratings of breathy, rough, strain, and glottal fry qualities (P < 0.001) in comparison to the HLE control group. There was a significant improvement between pre- and postintervention maximum phonation time, jitter, and harmonic-to-noise ratio values in the SPEICH-C group; however, the magnitude of change was not significantly different between groups. There was no significant change in fundamental frequency, standard deviation of fundamental frequency, phonation range, or closed phase of vocal fold vibration after intervention for either group. These results demonstrated that SPEICH-C can improve perceptual aspects of voice quality suggesting that dysphonia may be a fundamental characteristic of CC.

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