Abstract
The treatment for patients with mutational dysphonia typically is useful with vegetative phonation, but has not yet been studied. This study attempts to identify the effect of $SKTCLP^{(R)}$ using throat clearing and laughing in patients with mutational dysphonia. The study, which was designed by the author, included 26 patients aged from 14 to 32 years (mean: 18.7 years) who had been diagnosed with mutational dysphonia between January 2007 and June 2010. Voice therapy for these patients included $SKTCLP^{(R)}$, ranging from two to seven sessions (mean: 3.8 sessions). Results were evaluated by videostroboscopy, perceptual evaluation of GRBAS scale, aerodynamic test, and acoustic analysis before and after therapy. Most patients could phonate with low pitch from the beginning and sustain with normal pitch sound in the last session. We had found that glottic gap reduced after therapy and anterior-posterior compression of superior laryngeal part at the first time, and these patients had complete closure of the glottis after treatment. The results of acoustic and aerodynamic measures after treatment indicated significant decreases in Fo, Jitter, Shimmer, SFF, and SPI, and increases in MPT, Psub, and vocal efficiency (p<.05). $SKTCLP^{(R)}$ may be a useful treatment method in managing mutational dysphonia. We can suggest this technique may be useful in improving the voice quality of other functional dysphonia having glottal chink or functional aphonia.