User:Lavinia Patrick/sandbox

Article evaluation


 * Distractor: from which "other health professions" is Speech-Language Pathology distinguished?
 * Missing information that could be added: S-LP in countries other than the U.S.
 * Other things that could be improved: structure could be more coherent and concise, article could be put into lay terms, examples of S-LP-conducted research could be added to the sparse research section, research section could specify that only some S-LPs are researchers as well as clinicians

Evaluating tone


 * Paragraph beginning with "A common misconception..." displays a slightly defensive tone
 * U.S. viewpoint is highly overrepresented

Evaluating sources


 * Source given to support S-LPs "... providing expert testimony in applicable court cases" was not a primary one
 * Redirection to secondary sources was common
 * Facts were not all referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference; sources were often biased but this was not noted

Checking the talk page


 * Conversation topics included providing more information in the "Clients and Patients" section, as well as adding detail with respect to S-LP and dysphagia
 * The article was rated as B-Class and was part of several WikiProjects
 * The article got into the specifics of some areas more so than we had done in class and vice versa

Vocal cord paresis
I would like to expand the "Treatment" section of this article to include methods other than voice therapy and surgery. I would also like to add a description of stroke as one of the causes of vocal cord paresis. Adding a "prognosis" section to this article may be useful. Finally, replacing "vocal cord" with "vocal fold" may be in order.

Potentially useful sources may be found at the end of this sentence.


 * Article content: relevant to the topic, although the "Voice therapy" section under "Treatment" appears to be slightly over-developed as compared to other methods of treatment
 * The article appears to be written neutrally, although it is not written in lay terms and thus may be difficult to understand
 * Citations are numerous and reliable, although there are some primary sources cited in the "Epidemiology" section

Tumors

When abnormal cells group together in the body, they are said to form a tumor. Tumors can be either malignant (cancerous) or benign (non-cancerous). Tumors may lead to paralysis of the vocal folds when they affect the recurrent laryngeal nerves (RLNs) either directly or indirectly:


 * RLN paralysis can be caused by tumors of the thyroid, lung, esophagus, and mediastinum.
 * Radiation as a treatment for malignant head and neck tumors can reduce the number of blood vessels in the treatment area and lead to scarring. In some cases, this can paralyze the vagus nerve, of which the RLNs are branches.
 * Tumors of the vagus nerve, called vagal neurilemmomas, can also paralyze the vocal folds.