Biomechanical Voice Parameters as Potential Biomarkers for Phenotype Differentiation in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Cross-Sectional Study

TL;DR

This study explores how biomechanical voice parameters can help distinguish between different types of ALS and provide insights into bulbar motor involvement.

Contribution

The study introduces biomechanical voice parameters as novel biomarkers for differentiating ALS clinical phenotypes.

Findings

ALS patients showed significant differences in biomechanical parameters related to glottal closure and vibratory stability compared to controls.

Biomechanical analysis revealed distinct patterns in vibratory asymmetry and glottal tension between bulbar-onset and spinal-onset ALS.

ALS-B patients exhibited greater perceptual voice severity and higher Barthel Index scores than ALS-S patients.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a clinically heterogeneous neurodegenerative disease in which bulbar involvement frequently affects speech and voice production. Although acoustic voice analysis can detect phonatory alterations in ALS, its ability to differentiate clinical phenotypes remains limited. This study investigated whether biomechanical voice parameters provide complementary information for characterizing bulbar involvement across bulbar-onset ALS (ALS-B) and spinal-onset ALS (ALS-S) and explored their association with clinical and functional measures. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study included 50 patients with ALS (20 ALS-B, 30 ALS-S) and 50 controls with non-neurological voice disorders. Sustained vowel phonation was analyzed using acoustic measures and biomechanical voice parameters derived from a standardized model of vocal fold vibration. Perceptual voice severity was assessed using the GRBAS scale, while functional status was evaluated with the ALS Functional Rating Scale–Revised (ALSFRS-R) and the Barthel Index. Associations with clinical measures were explored in secondary analyses. Results: Compared with controls, ALS patients showed significant differences in acoustic measures and several biomechanical parameters related to glottal closure and vibratory stability. Biomechanical analysis revealed significant differences between ALS-B and ALS-S, particularly in parameters reflecting vibratory asymmetry, glottal tension and cycle-to-cycle instability. Unexpectedly, ALS-B showed greater perceptual voice severity and higher Barthel Index scores than ALS-S, while no differences were observed in global ALSFRS-R total scores. Conclusions: Biomechanical voice analysis appears to capture physiologically meaningful alterations in vocal fold function in ALS and provides complementary information for characterizing bulbar motor involvement across clinical phenotypes, particularly ALS-B disease. When combined with acoustic and clinical assessments, this approach may enhance the evaluation of bulbar involvement and functional status in ALS.

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