JCM Special Issue 2025–2026: Infection-Associated Chronic Conditions
1 Grach et al. 2025 — Voice and Speech Abnormalities as a Signal in ME/CFS
(Grach, Seltzer, and Orbelo 2025)
Full Citation:: Grach SL, Seltzer J, Orbelo DM. “A Signal for Voice and Speech Abnormalities in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.” Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2025;14(14):4847. DOI:: 10.3390/jcm14144847 PMID:: 40725538 Study Design:: Mixed-methods online survey (Pacing Narrative Study dataset); n=685 participants, 302 qualitative respondents. Mayo Clinic + ME Action Network collaboration. First use of this dataset. Key Findings::
- 9.27% of qualitative responses (38/410 mentions across 28 unique respondents) referenced voice or speech changes
- Voice and speech anomalies emerged spontaneously without direct prompting — suggesting salience to patients
- AI-assisted qualitative analysis applied to open-ended PEM-focused survey responses
- Proposes voice/speech as a potential digital biomarker for PEM detection and disease monitoringConclusion:: This is a preliminary signal study rather than a validation study. The authors acknowledge the need for prospective acoustic measurement studies and do not claim diagnostic utility. The Pacing Narrative Study dataset focused on PEM experiences, making voice/speech findings incidental but clinically interesting. Limitations:: Self-selected online sample; no acoustic measurements; qualitative only; no control group; low absolute mention rate (9.27%); dataset not designed to capture voice/speech Certainty:: 0.35