Perceptual, patient-reported, and acoustic voice characteristics in individuals with multiple sclerosis.

IF 1 4区医学 Q4 AUDIOLOGY & SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY

Logopedics Phoniatrics Vocology Pub Date : 2026-10-13 DOI:10.1080/14015439.2026.2747974

Tatiana Romero-Arias, Aylén Chiara Fernández, Iria Nieto Rebollo, Alejandro Cano Villagrasa, Mauricio Barramuño-Medina, Germán Gálvez García, Adrián Pérez Del Olmo

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Abstract

Purpose: Voice impairment is increasingly recognised as a relevant but often underexplored feature of multiple sclerosis (MS). The present study aimed to investigate vocal characteristics in individuals with MS using a combined subjective, perceptual, and acoustic assessment approach.

Methods: A total of 91 participants were included, comprising 48 individuals with MS and 43 healthy controls. Vocal function was assessed using the Voice Handicap Index (VHI), the GRBAS perceptual scale, and acoustic analysis of sustained phonation, including fundamental frequency (f_o), jitter, shimmer, and harmonics-to-noise ratio (HNR). Analyses were conducted separately for men and women.

Results: Participants with MS showed significantly higher VHI and GRBAS scores compared to controls in both sexes, indicating greater perceived and perceptual voice impairment. Analysis of individual GRBAS dimensions revealed significantly higher scores across all components (Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, and Strain) in participants with MS compared with controls. Acoustic analysis revealed significantly increased shimmer values in both men and women with MS, whereas significantly lower HNR and f_o values were observed only among women in the sex-stratified analyses. No significant differences were identified for jitter. Formal interaction analyses revealed a significant group × sex interaction only for f_o, whereas no significant interaction was observed for HNR, shimmer, or jitter.

Conclusions: Combined perceptual, patient-reported, and acoustic voice assessment may contribute to a broader characterisation of voice impairment in individuals with MS.

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多发性硬化症患者的感知、患者报告和声学特征。

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来源期刊

Logopedics Phoniatrics Vocology 医学-耳鼻喉科学

CiteScore

2.50

自引率

9.10%

发文量

审稿时长

>12 weeks

期刊介绍： Logopedics Phoniatrics Vocology is an amalgamation of the former journals Scandinavian Journal of Logopedics & Phoniatrics and VOICE. The intention is to cover topics related to speech, language and voice pathology as well as normal voice function in its different aspects. The Journal covers a wide range of topics, including: Phonation and laryngeal physiology Speech and language development Voice disorders Clinical measurements of speech, language and voice Professional voice including singing Bilingualism Cleft lip and palate Dyslexia Fluency disorders Neurolinguistics and psycholinguistics Aphasia Motor speech disorders Voice rehabilitation of laryngectomees Augmentative and alternative communication Acoustics Dysphagia Publications may have the form of original articles, i.e. theoretical or methodological studies or empirical reports, of reviews of books and dissertations, as well as of short reports, of minor or ongoing studies or short notes, commenting on earlier published material. Submitted papers will be evaluated by referees with relevant expertise.