(1) Background: Hoarseness is not uncommon in children, especially at school age, as communication with peers is intensified. It is caused by improper use or overuse of the vocal apparatus. (2) Methods: The study included 85 hoarse children aged 6–12 (study group) and 240 healthy children (control group) of the same age. The study group underwent a detailed medical history, phoniatric examination, larynx fiber endoscopy, allergy treatment and the Pediatric Voice-Related Quality of Life questionnaire, modified by Jasmina Stojanovic. (3) Results: Our modified questionnaire revealed the significance of parental perception of a voice disorder in a child after organized activities. Using our modified questionnaire, we were able to determine the most frequent form of a voice disorder in children—speaking too loudly—is often neglected by the environment and can lead to an overall lower life quality. (4) Conclusions: As the presence of hoarseness impairs the quality of life in the pediatric population, awareness of a voice disorder must be recognized and treated on time to overcome the possible side effects on a child’s psychological and emotional development.

Cochlear implantation gives children with prelingual severe hearing loss and deafness the opportunity to develop their hearing abilities, speech, language, cognitive abilities and academic skills with adequate rehabilitation. The aim of the research was to analyze verbal, figural and arithmetic fluency and their interrelationship in children with a cochlear implant (CI) and children with normal hearing (NH). A total of 46 children with CI and 110 children with NH, aged 9 to 16, participated in the research. Verbal fluency was assessed using phonemic and semantic fluency, and non-verbal fluency using figural fluency. Arithmetic fluency was assessed using simple arithmetic tasks within the number range up to 100. The results showed that children with CI achieved poorer results in phonemic fluency (z = −4.92; p < 0.001), semantic fluency (z = −3.89; p < 0.001), figural fluency (z = −3.07; p = 0.002), and arithmetic fluency (z = −4.27; p < 0.001). In both groups, a positive correlation was obtained between the measured modalities and types of fluency. In the group of children with CI, a sex difference was obtained on the phonemic fluency test, in favor of girls. The age of children with CI was correlated with arithmetic fluency. Verbal, figural and arithmetic fluency of children with CI speak in favor of the importance of early auditory and language experiences.

Introduction. Voice disorders in primary school teachers, as vocal professionals, are very common and often an inevitable phenomenon, which is unfortunately given little importance. Primary school teachers are at greater risk compared to other educators, because they rarely have opportunities for vocal rest during their working hours. The aim of this paper was to determine the acoustic voice characteristics of primary school teachers and their subjective experience of voice quality. Material and Methods. The study included 30 female teachers employed at the elementary school ?Branko Radicevic? in Banja Luka. For the purpose of objective acoustic analysis, the computer program Praat was used; for the purposes of subjective acoustic analysis the Grade, Instability, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, and Strain scale was used, whereas the Voice Handicap Index was used for voice self-assessment. The effects of work experience, number of classes per week, bad habits and chronic diseases on voice quality were analyzed. Results. Statistically significant differences were found only in subjects who reported bad habits in the domain of subjective acoustic analysis, where pathological values were obtained for subscales grade, instability, roughness, breathiness and strain (p < 0.05), whereas the second statistically significant difference was observed in participants without previous history of chronic diseases, and who had significantly better speech intensity and lower harmonicsto-noise ratio (p < 0.05). Conclusion. In our research, objective and subjective acoustic analysis showed that about half of primary school teachers have voice disorders. Unhealthy habits and chronic diseases have a greater impact on the quality of voice of the primary school teachers than the length of work experience and the number of classes per week.

Background and Objectives: Professional voice users (PVUs) are individuals for whom the voice is the primary tool of work, and whose professional success and income largely depend on its quality. This paper’s study population predominantly consisted of occupational voice users with moderate vocal demands and the study aimed to identify risk factors and causes of voice quality and production disorders, as well as the socio-epidemiological characteristics of affected patients. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in Serbia, including 145 occupational voice users aged 20–70 years who were treated for dysphonia between August 2019 and July 2024. Data collected included demographics, symptom duration, tobacco exposure, throat and nasal swab results, gastroenterological and endocrinological evaluations and information on treatment for allergic rhinitis, asthma, and dysphonia. Patients were stratified by age, profession, and cause of dysphonia into the appropriate groups. Results: Dysphonia is significantly more common among female occupational users. There is a significant association between the cause of dysphonia and both age and hyperthyroidism. Smoking was highly prevalent in the study population and showed associations with selected videolaryngostroboscopic parameters; however, causal inferences could not be made due to the lack of a non-smoking comparison group. No statistically significant association was observed between positive nasal or throat swabs and dysphonia, nor between allergic rhinitis or asthma and the onset of dysphonia in occupational voice users. Treatment modality varies by gender, with male occupational voice users more likely to undergo surgery and female occupational voice users more often receiving conservative therapy. Symmetric vocal fold vibrations were observed in 85.5% of participants, while regular vibrations were present in 53.1%, and insufficient glottal closure in 10.3%. Regular vocal fold vibration was significantly less frequent in patients with structural disorders and more common in individuals aged 30–39 years. Male sex showed a borderline association with reduced likelihood of symmetric vocal fold vibrations. No independent predictors of insufficient glottal closure were identified. Conclusions: These results support the implementation of systematic otolaryngologic examinations, combined with mandatory education on proper voice use, vocal hygiene, and the harmful effects of tobacco smoke, as measures to prevent voice disorders in occupational voice users.

Inroduction. Pathological characteristics of voice and speech in persons with benign and malignant vocal fold tumors present as different variations in the voice pitch, intensity and quality. The aim of the study was to determine the speech capacity of persons with malignant and benign vocal fold tumors before and after surgical treatment and to establish if there are differences in the speech capacity in relation to the type of tumor. Material and Methods. The sample included 67 subjects who were divided into two groups: group I - subjects with benign tumors, vocal cord lesions (polyps, cysts) and Reinke?s edema and group II - subjects with malignant tumors, aged 23 to 74 years (mean age 55.43; standard deviation 11.95). Acoustic voice analysis, maximum phonation time of the vowel /a/, analysis of temporal speech organization, and sentence melody analysis were used for measuring the speech capacity. Results. Before surgery, the speech capacity in both groups of patients was almost equal, without statistical significance between the compared groups. After surgery, there was a statistically significant difference between the speech capacity in the examined groups, with better speech capacity observed in group I (t = -3.807, p < 0.001). The study did not show an isolated effect of time or tumor type on the speech capacity, but showed a combined effect (F = 10.079, p = 0.002). Conclusion. The proposed method for the assessment of the speech capacity before and after surgical treatment of vocal fold tumors is a useful tool for the prediction of the voice outcome and in planning rehabilitation procedures.