Effect of renal failure on voice

Abstract

The objective of this case-control study was to assess the impact of dysphonia on quality of life and to report the perceptual and acoustic findings in patients with chronic renal failure. A total of 22 patients with chronic renal failure and 18 healthy controls were recruited. Patients were asked to complete the Voice Handicap Index (VHI)-10 to assess the impact of dysphonia on quality of life. Perceptual evaluation of patients' voice recordings using the GRBAS classification was performed. Acoustic analysis was also conducted. Fundamental frequency, habitual pitch, shimmer, relative average perturbation, harmonic-to-noise ratio, voice turbulence index, and the maximum phonation time were reported. The mean scores of the VHI-10 were within normative values, with no significant difference between groups. There was also no significant difference in any of the acoustic parameters or in the mean score of any of the perceptual parameters between patients and controls. We conclude that patients with renal failure do not have dysphonia with a significant impact on quality of life, as evident by the normative values of the VHI-10. There were neither perceptual nor acoustic differences between patients and controls. © 2016 Vendome Group, LLC All rights reserved.