Quantitative Video Laryngoscopy to Monitor Recovery from Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injury in the Rat. (31st January 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mor, Niv; Naggar, Isaac; Das, Olipriya; Nakase, Ko; Silverman, Joshua B.; Sundaram, Krishnamurthi; Stewart, Mark; Kollmar, Richard
• Is Part Of: Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery. Volume 150:Number 5(2014:May)
• Page Start: 824
• Page End: 826
• Publication Date: 2014-01-31
• Subjects: laryngoscopy -- nerve crush -- recurrent laryngeal nerve -- unilateral vocal fold paralysis; Head -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Neck -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Otolaryngology -- Periodicals; 617.51
• DOI: 10.1177/0194599814521572
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0194-5998

Abstract

Abstract : Recovery from unilateral vocal‐fold paralysis is lengthy, unpredictable, and often incomplete, highlighting the need for better treatments of the injured recurrent laryngeal nerve. To be able to monitor recovery of vocal‐fold motion in studies with rats, we developed a procedure for quantitative video laryngoscopy. An asymmetry index was defined as a continuous and robust measure of unequal vocal‐fold motion and calculated from spectral‐density plots of vocal‐fold displacements. In a cohort of 8 animals, unilateral vocal‐fold paralysis was observed within seconds after clamping of the right recurrent laryngeal nerve and was accompanied by a markedly negative asymmetry index. Over the next month, the asymmetry index gradually returned to zero, concomitant with a visible recovery of vocal‐fold motion. Our results suggest that quantitative video laryngoscopy is a sensitive and discriminating method for monitoring recovery from recurrent laryngeal nerve injury and set the stage for testing novel surgical and pharmacological treatments of unilateral vocal‐fold paralysis.