Hearing a voice disorder is the most valuable tool available to the voice teacher, voice pathologist and laryngologist and yet remains the most underutilized exam in laryngology. Understanding how to use vocal capabilities pattern matching before visually examining the larynx will improve the accuracy of laryngeal diagnosis.
Vocal capabilities pattern matching consists of identifying the comfortable speaking pitch, maximum phonation time, highest and lowest pitch while noting the quality of voice production. Loud and soft voice production at low pitch and repeating loud and soft at high pitch will elicit audible vocal cues revealing (sometimes hidden) vocal cord vibratory impairment. Wherever vocal capability testing suggests the maximal impairment during this audio portion of the exam will then suggest the pitch and volume at which to record the stroboscopic examination.
For example, weakness of the vocal cords will be exacerbated at low pitch and low-volume sound production. Meanwhile, vocal cord swellings such as nodules, polyps and hemorrhage will most significantly impair vocal cord vibration at high pitch and low-volume. Additionally, the impairment has a very specific character. Each type of vocal cord vibratory impairment generates a specific pattern on this type of vocal capabilities pattern matching elicitation.
By the end of the session, the participant should be forming a more accurate differential diagnosis after listening to an impaired voice.
Go to this link for the "handouts" for this presentation:
http://voicedoctor.net/blog/examination/optimal-exam/vocal-capabilities/vocal-capabilities-pattern-matching
