Comparative Investigation of Laryngeal Palpation Scale Between Primary and Secondary Muscle Tension Dysphonia

OBJECTIVES:Muscle tension dysphonia (MTD) is a condition that is often assessed through palpation examination. The laryngeal palpation scale (LPS) is a reliable and valid tool developed to evaluate patients with MTD. MTD is classified into primary (without tissue reactions) and secondary (with tissue reactions). Primary MTD is caused by muscle hyperfunction, while maladaptive compensation typically leads to secondary MTD. The objective of this study was to compare the LPS scores between primary and secondary MTD. METHODS:This study is a cross-sectional analytical comparative study. It included 39 participants (10 men and 29 women) who were divided into two groups: primary MTD and secondary MTD with mass lesions (20 with primary MTD and 19 with secondary MTD). Each type of MTD was diagnosed by a qualified otolaryngologist. The participants were assessed using the LPS, which comprises 45 variables evaluated across three subscales. RESULTS:The results of the current study showed that there is a difference between the primary MTD and secondary MTD in the subscale of patients with symptomatic complaints of the item pain at rest/speaking (Pv = 0.001) and pain level (Pv = 0.019) and the subscale of palpation the item cricothyroid (left) in dynamic conditions (tenderness; Pv = 0.013). In other LPS items, no difference was observed between primary MTD and secondary MTD in all three subscales (Pv ≥ 0.05). CONCLUSIONS:The LPS scores for pain items during rest/speaking and the pain level, as well as the left cricothyroid (tenderness) item, were different between the primary MTD and secondary MTD groups. However, the other LPS items did not show any difference between the primary MTD and secondary MTD groups. Further investigation on palpation findings with LPS in larger samples in both groups and with objective measurements such as electromyography are recommended.