Mariline Santos
Otorhinolaryngologist
Mariline Santos is an attending physician of Otorhinolaryngology at ULS de Santo António.
She obtained her PhD in Medical Sciences at ICBAS-UP in January 2023 under the supervision of Professor Álvaro Moreira da Silva, Professor Cecília Almeida e Sousa, and Professor Susana Vaz Freitas.
What has been the scientific output of this research project so far?
This research project was carried out at the Otorhinolaryngology Department of Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Santo António and yielded 14 scientific articles published in several scientific journals, including the official journal of the American Society of Laryngology (The Laryngoscope), the Voice Foundation (The Journal of Voice), and the European Society of Laryngology (European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology).
What methodology was used?
The research had “presbylarynx” and “presbyphonia” as keywords, and the methodology was directed toward three areas of investigation: epidemiology, pathophysiology, and clinical evaluation.
What are the key study findings?
For the first time, an association between presbylarynx, low body muscle mass, and specific comorbidities was established with high level of evidence; self-assessment questionnaires and specific cut-offs were validated, which are useful not only for early referral but also for the assessment of voice complaints during and after treatment; a morphological classification was developed, validated, and acterized to translate and stratify the possible models of glottal configuration (presbylarynx) associated with presbyphonia, whose use in clinical practice will be extremely important for self-assessment and for determining which patients with presbyphonia will benefit more or less invasive otolaryngologic treatment plans.
Read the full version at: https://hdl.handle.net/10216/147459