Research database

Impairment in voice quality and intensity are invisible symptoms reported by 45% to 91% of people with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS). Voice disorders significantly impact activities of daily living (ADLs), social relations, work, and quality of life. Perceptual and acoustic measures collected in controlled environments for short periods using an inair microphone are commonly used to assess dysphonia. However, in PwMS, dysphonic symptoms are often reported during prolonged voice use in ADL. These observations have led to developing portable voice analysis devices (Portable Voice Accumulators-PVAs). PVAs can record the acoustic voice signal for several hours using a contact microphone placed at the base of the neck that detects the vibrations emitted during phonation, allowing the extraction of acoustic parameters, excluding other sound sources. Among the PVAs, the Vocal Holter (VH) allows voice monitoring for 8 hours without recording words and provides biofeedback to alert the person to the risk of voice overload. VH has been used in non-clinical settings and has shown good usability and acceptability levels in a PwMS study underway at the Don Gnocchi Foundation. Objectives: 1. to implement VH as a tool for long-period voice assessment in PwMS; 2. to develop a biofeedback suitable for promoting generalization of voice treatment results. The project is divided into overlapping work packages (WPs) involving collaboration between partners: WP1(M1-M20). Technical implementation of VH (hardware and software) with user tests to evaluate changes in itinere (3PwMS for 5 trials). Phase1. device development for evaluation. Phase2. biofeedback development. WP2(M13-M18). Feasibility study of the use of the device in the clinical setting: at the end of the two technical implementation phases, feasibility studies of using the device for voice assessment in daily living and biofeedback are planned (20PwMS per study). WP3(M17-M23). Validity study of voice assessment measures in ADL