NIDCD

Diagnosis

During your diagnostic session, the voice pathologist will discuss your problem to determine the cause, how the problem progressed, how you and others feel about your voice and, finally maintaining causes.  A computer will then analyze the quality of your voice in 19 different ways.  These results and their meaning will be shared with you. 

The process of videostroboscopy allows us to make a video recording of your voice box in action and slow motion.  A small tube is placed carefully in your mouth, which allows us to look down your throat at the top of your voice box.  This procedure is short and does not hurt.  Frequently this is the only way we can observe certain critical symptoms.  The results are shared with you after the exam.

 A voice pathologist will rate your voice on how it sounds as you talk during an interview.  Other vocal aspects will also be measured: how long you can sustain a vowel sound, and what your lowest, highest and usual pitches are.  Recordings and analysis of your voice will be made as you say vowels, read and visit with the voice pathologist.  An analysis of the performance voice is also made. 

Patients usually leave the diagnostic session knowing what the problem is in what they can do to help improve their voices right away. 

Special assessment procedures