Objective:
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disorder of the neuromuscular junction characterized by muscle weakness and fatigue. Voice changes are common among MG patients due to involvement of the larynx. However, quantitative assessment of voice changes in MG patients using acoustic measures is limited. The purpose of this study was to examine the voice changes in patients with MG compared to healthy individuals using acoustic voice quality index (AVQI) and dysphonia severity index (DSI), and to evaluate the correlation between these acoustic indices and neurological status.
Methods:
Thirty patients with MG and 30 age-matched healthy adults were recruited for this study. Disease duration and severity of MG patients were assessed by an attending neurologist. Voice samples were recorded and digitized using Praat from which AVQI and DSI scores were obtained for each individual. To determine the differences in voice quality between MG patients and the control group, an independent t-test was used for normal data and Mann-Whitney U test for non-normal data. Correlation between acoustic characteristics and neurological status was analyzed using Spearman correlation.
Results_
Preliminary results revealed that MG patients showed greater AVQI and lower DSI compared to healthy participants, indicating a poorer voice quality associated with MG. Further analysis will explore the correlation between these acoustic indices and neurological status.
Conclusions:
MG patients showed a poorer voice quality as revealed by greater AVQI and lower DSI scores. These acoustic indices may serve as objective tools for voice assessment in patients with MG.