The Impact of COVID-19 on Voice, Speech, and Language: An Interdisciplinary Study of COVID-19 Survivors

Joanna Kuć, Tomasz Michta

Abstract


The long-term effects of a COVID-19 infection are complex and may pose significant challenges for individuals and societies. Thus, it is important to understand the full impact it may have on many aspects of a survivor’s life, including their voice, speech, and language. The study aimed to diagnose the types of speech disorders that occur in COVID-19 survivors, to investigate how long the speech disorders last, and to determine whether or not there was any correlation between the patient’s age and their score in each of the categories of the Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, and Strain (GRBAS) scale. A total of 30 people aged between 30 and 60 years (15 men and 15 women) participated in this study. A speech evaluation was conducted using 4 types of tests: recordings of spontaneous speech, a test of repetition of words and sentences, a monologue, and a series of automated word sequences. The perceptual evaluation of the patients’ speech was carried out by means of the GRBAS scale. We found that the majority of patients (25 out of 30) used excessive force to produce voice. We also found a significant weakening of the ability to produce voice immediately after the disease in all subjects. No significant correlations were found between the patient’s age and individual scores on the GRBAS scale. Our findings highlight the multifaceted nature of the impact of COVID-19 on communication abilities, underscoring the need for collaborative efforts across various fields to effectively address the challenges faced by COVID-19 survivors.

 


Keywords


COVID-19; speech disorders; speech pathology; speech therapy

Full Text:

PDF

References


Asiaee, M., Vahedian-azimi, A., Atashi, S.S., Keramatfar, A., & Nourbakhsh, M. (2022). Voice Quality Evaluation in Patients With COVID-19: An Acoustic Analysis. Journal of Voice. 36(6), 879.e13-879.e19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2020.09.024

Brain, R. & Bannister, R. (1992). Brain and Bannister’s clinical neurology. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Branson, C. (1981). Speech and language characteristics of children with Prader-Willi syndrome. In: V.A. Holm, S. Sulzbacher, P.L. Pipes (Eds.), The Prader-Willi Syndrome. (pp. 179–183). Baltimore, MD: University Park Press.

Carod-Artal F. J. (2020). Neurological complications of coronavirus and COVID-19. Complicaciones neurológicas por coronavirus y COVID-19. Revista de neurologia. 70(9), 311–322. https://doi.org/10.33588/rn.7009.2020179

Chang, S. E., Garnett, E. O., Etchell, A., & Chow, H. M. (2019). Functional and Neuroanatomical Bases of Developmental Stuttering: Current Insights. The Neuroscientist: a review journal bringing neurobiology, neurology and psychiatry. 25(6), 566–582.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1073858418803594

Furlanis, G., Busan, P., Formaggio, E., Menichelli, A., Lunardelli, A., Ajcevic, M., Pesavento, V., & Manganotti, P. (2023). Stuttering-Like Dysfluencies as a Consequence of Long COVID-19. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. 66(2), 415–430.

https://doi.org/10.1044/2022_JSLHR-22-00381

Gläscher, J., Tranel, D., Paul, L. K., Rudrauf, D., Rorden, C., Hornaday, A., Grabowski, T., Damasio, H., & Adolphs, R. (2009). Lesion mapping of cognitive abilities linked to intelligence. Neuron. 61(5), 681–691. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2009.01.026

Hu Ben, Hua Guo, Peng Zhou, Shi Zheng-Li (2021). Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. Nature reviews. Microbiology. 19(3), 141–154. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-020-00459-7

Jakimowicz, W. (1987). Neurologia kliniczna w zarysie. Warszawa: PZWL.

Jodzio, K. (2014). Neuropsychologia różnic indywidualnych w świetle badań klinicznych. In E. Łojek, A. Bolewska, H. Okuniewska (Eds.), Studia z neuropsychologii klinicznej. Na 45-lecie pracy zawodowej Profesor Danuty Kądzielawy (pp. 71-96). Warszawa, Wydawnictwa

Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego.

Keijsers, K., Broeders, M., Baptista Lopes, V., Klinkert, A., van Baar, J., Venrooij, N., & Kerckhoffs, A. (2022). Memory impairment and concentration problems in COVID-19 survivors 8 weeks after non-ICU hospitalization: a retrospective cohort study. Journal of Medical Virology. 94(9), 4512–4517. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmv.27831

Kaczmarek, B. (1995). Mózgowa organizacja mowy. Lublin: Agencja Wydawniczo-Handlowa.

Kluj-Kozłowska, K. (2018). Rola neurologopedy w diagnostyce różnicowej chorób neurozwyrodnieniowych. Biuletyn Logopedyczny. 32, 137–159.

Luria, A.R. (1959). The directive function of speech in development and dissolution. Word. 15(3), 341–352. https://doi.org/10.1080/00437956.1959.11659703

Luria, A.R. (1967). Zaburzenia wyższych czynności korowych wskutek ogniskowych uszkodzeń mózgu. Podstawy neuropsychologii. Warszawa: Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe.

Maruszewski, M. (1966). Afazja: zagadnienia teorii I terapii. Warszawa: Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe.

McCracken, L., Badinlou, F., Buhrman, M., & Brocki, K. (2020). Psychological impact of COVID-19 in the Swedish population: Depression, anxiety, and insomnia and their associations to risk and vulnerability factors. European Psychiatry. 63(1), e81, 1–9.

https://doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2020.81

Meyer, K., & Damasio, A. (2009). Convergence and divergence in a neural architecture for recognition and memory. Trends in neurosciences. 32(7), 376–382. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2009.04.002

Mierzejewska, H. (1977). Afatyczna dezintegracja fonetycznej postaci wyrazów. Wrocław: Ossolineum.

Mohapatra, B., Mohan, R. (2020). Speech-Language Pathologists' Role in the Multi-Disciplinary Management and Rehabilitation of Patients with Covid-19. Journal of rehabilitation medicine. Clinical communications, 3, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.2340/20030711-1000037

Panasiuk, J. (2012). Afazja a interakcja. TEKST – metaTEKST – konTEKST, Lublin: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej.

Panasiuk, J. (2015). Postępowanie logopedyczne w przypadku afazji. In S. Grabias, J. Panasiuk, T. Woźniak (Eds.), Logopedia. Standardy postępowania logopedycznego (pp. 869–919). Lublin: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej.

Pąchalska, M. (1999). Afazjologia. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.

Perrin, P., Collongues, N., Baloglu, S., Bedo, D., Bassand, X., Lavaux, T., Gautier-Vargas, G., Keller, N., Kremer, S., Fafi-Kremer, S., Moulin, B., Benotmane, I., & Caillard, S. (2021). Cytokine release syndrome-associated encephalopathy in patients with COVID-19. European

journal of neurology. 28(1), 248–258. https://doi.org/10.1111/ene.14491

Prat, C.S. (2011), The Brain Basis of Individual Differences in Language Comprehension Abilities. Language and Linguistics Compass, 5, 635–649. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-818X.2011.00303.x

Prusiński, A. (1989). Podstawy neurologii klinicznej. Warszawa: Państwowy Zakład Wydawnictw Lekarskich.

Pruszewicz, A. (Ed.) (1992). Foniatria kliniczna. Warszawa: Państwowy Zakład Wydawnictw Lekarskich.

Robertson I. H. (2014). Right hemisphere role in cognitive reserve. Neurobiology of aging. 35(6), 1375–1385. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2013.11.028

Sagris, D., Papanikolaou, A., Kvernland, A., Korompoki, E., Frontera, J. A., Troxel, A. B., Gavriatopoulou, M., Milionis, H., Lip, G., Michel, P., Yaghi, S., & Ntaios, G. (2021). COVID-19 and ischemic stroke. European journal of neurology. 28(11), 3826–3836.

https://doi.org/10.1111/ene.15008

Stern, Y. (2009). Cognitive reserve. Neuropsychologia. 47(10), 2015–2028. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2009.03.004

Styczek, I. (1983). Logopedia. Warszawa: Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe.

Taquet, M., Geddes, J. R., Husain, M., Luciano, S., & Harrison, P. J. (2021). 6-month neurological and psychiatric outcomes in 236 379 survivors of COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study using electronic health records. The Lancet. Psychiatry. 8(5), 416–427.

https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(21)00084-5

Thornton R., Light L. (2006). Language comprehension and production in normal aging. In J.E. Birren, K.W. Schaie, R.P. Abeles, M. Gatz, T. Salthouse, (Eds.), Handbook of the Psychology of Aging (pp. 261–279). Oxford: Elsevier.

Vogrig, A., Gigli, G. L., Bnà, C., & Morassi, M. (2021). Stroke in patients with COVID-19: Clinical and neuroimaging characteristics. Neuroscience letters. 743, 135564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2020.135564

Wool, G. D., & Miller, J. L. (2021). The Impact of COVID-19 Disease on Platelets and Coagulation. Pathobiology: journal of immunopathology, molecular and cellular biology. 88(1), 15–27. https://doi.org/10.1159/000512007

Walsh, K., (1985). Understanding brain damage. A primer of neuropsychological evaluation. Edinburgh: Churchil Livingstone,

Walsh, K. (1998). Neuropsychologia kliniczna. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.

DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS

The Aachen Aphasia Test [Huber, Poeck & Willmes 1983].

The Aphasia Screening Test [Whurr 1996].

Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination [Goodglass & Kaplan 1972].

The Boston Naming Test [Kaplan, Goodglass & Weintraub 2001].

Communication Activities of Daily Living [Holland 1980].

Cracow Neurolinguistic Battery of Aphasia Examinnation / Krakowska Neurolingwistyczna Bateria Diagnostyki Afazji [Pąchalska, Kaczmarek & Knapik 1995].

Edinburgh Functional Communication Profile [Skinner, Wirtz, Thompson & Davidson 1984].

Frenchay Aphasia Screening Test [Enderby, Wood & Wade 1987].

Functional Communication Profile [Taylor-Sarno 1969].

Minnesota Test for Differential Diagnosis of Aphasia [Schuell 1965].

Multilingual Aphasia Examination [Benton, Hamsher & Sivan 1978].

The Halstead-Wepman Aphasia Screening Test [Halstead & Wepman 1949].

The Token Test [De Renzi & Vignolo 1962].

The Western Aphasia Battery [Kertesz 1979].




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/gema-2023-2303-03

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


 

 

 

eISSN : 2550-2131

ISSN : 1675-8021