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UK Clnnncal Vonce Center.
Helping To Restore Vonoes
After suffering an asthma attack in 2004, 1 1-year-old Dinaste It’s equipped with the latest instrumentation, including a high
Allen could barely speak for two years. Her mother, Denise speed digital endoscopic system, which captures vocal fold motion
Allen, sought treatment for Dinaste. She was diagnosed with 66 times faster than older methods; the latest systems for measur-
muscle tension dysphonia, a condition where the vocal cords ing vocal function; and a flexible instrument that permits superior
are so tense they will not vibrate.     - · __ , v_ views ofthe vocal cords and is com-
Dinaste was completely unre- ·   l ( l l` fortable for patients ofall ages.
sponsive to treatment. She was .\’.' Ii There also is a multidisciplinary
eventually referred to a psychia- _ team of professionals who all work
trist. “ They thought it was all in together to treat patients. This in-
her mind,” Denise Allen said. cludes speech-language pathologists
After a frustrating year and a and otolaryngologists with a special-
half Dinaste was referred to I _ ization in the area of voice.
]oseph Stemple, a communication 'i A Many ofthese disorders are caused
disorders specialist at the Univer- , ~ · 1 by overuse through common activi-
sity of Kentucky College of · ’ (_  \ ties such as singing and talking.
Health Sciences. Allen, a single   ~ " T "/T \ \ Others are caused by cancer or
mother of three children, was con- `     health conditions.
cerned for her daughter’s well- " ` \ ` Rita Patel, assistant professor of
being and moved the family from l     Communication Sciences and Dis-
Ohio to Lexington to be near (l orders and director ofthe Clinical
Stemple and the University of ` Voice Center said that patients get
Kentucky. “Dinaste didn’t think all the services in one convenient
she was ever going to get better,” visit.
Allen said. "When patients Hrst come for a
After receiving six therapy ses- visit they see both a speech patholo-
sions from Stemple, Dinaste is ‘. gist and an otolaryngologist that
now able to speak. \ specialize in voice disorders in UK’s
But recovery did not come eas-   Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic,” Patel
ily. “ The voice box is a very com- * said. (ZA video stroboscopy to look at
plicated instrument,” Stemple the vocal folds and a detailed com-
said. “There are 13 phonation puterized analyses of voice is per-
muscles in the voice box, and all formed. The UK Clinical Voice
muscles have to work properly in Center also has the latest technol-
order for the voice to be normal. ogy, called the high speed digital
Dinaste had been using her voice Dlhaste Alleh had Vecal c¤rds that were $0 tense they imaging system, that can look at the
improperly for over two years and Weuld het Vlprate and she Ceuld parelY Speak- J¤seph vocal folds in more detail compared
we had to break the pattern arm- Stemple. a c¤mmu¤icati¤¤ diwrders specialist at UK ta the video stroboscopy The
appropriate muscle pattern activ- Was able te help her with $lX therapy $e$$lOh$· speech pathologist then discusses
ity and reintroduce the the patient exam with the otolaryn-
appropriate muscle patterns. gologist, who subsequently performs a head and neck exam.”
For Dinaste, how it happened doesn’t really matter. What Based on the recommendations, the patient will come either for
matters now is that she has regained her voice in the world. voice therapy or surgery or both voice therapy and surgery
Referrals for services at the Clinical Voice Center can be made
Clinical Voice C€I‘It€I‘ TI‘€atS Variety Of DiSOI‘d€I‘S by a physician, speech-language pathologist, voice specialist such
The University of Kentucky Clinical Voice Center operates as a singing coach or voice coach and by self-referral. Costs are
through the Division of Communication Sciences & Disorders, covered by most insurance companies, including Medicare.
College of Health Sciences, and is the only one of its kind in Ken- The center also is involved in cutting edge interdisciplinary re-
tucky. It’s located on the third floor of the Kentucky Clinic on the search related to understanding the mechanism of normal and dis-
UK campus as part ofthe UK HealthCare Ear, Nose and ordered voice production in children and adults in collaboration
Throat / Head and Neck Surgery division. with the University of Kentucky’s Division of Otolaryngology,
The Voice Center provides state-of-the-art diagnostic evalua- Center for Visualization — College of Engineering, Department of
tion, treatment and management of conditions related to hoarse- Physiology, and School of Music.
ness, difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), shortness of breath, speech
and other voice and airway disorders. — Ama Blaze/@2% Public Relaztiansjh UK HealthCare
>} 22 Spring 2010