Acoustic Voice Quality Index as a Potential Tool for Voice Screening.

INTRODUCTION: To diminish the risk of voice disorders in people who are highly dependent on their voices, such as teachers, vocal screening is important already at the beginning of such individuals' professional studies. A reliable, specified screening tool is needed. The Acoustic Voice Quality Index (AVQI) has been found to differentiate normal voices from abnormal voices and to serve as a treatment outcome measure. This study investigated whether AVQI could be a screening tool in combination with auditory- and self-perception of the voice to discriminate normal from slightly poor voices. TYPE OF STUDY: Experimental. METHODS: Some 128 female teaching students (mean age 26.39 years, SD 9.80 years) with no diagnosed voice disorders participated in this study. They read aloud a text in Finnish, sustained the vowel /a:/, and filled the Voice Handicap Index (VHI) questionnaire. Voice samples were recorded with an AKG C544L headset microphone, iFocusrite soundcard, and Praat software using a 44100 sample rate and 16-bit amplitude quantization. Five expert voice therapists evaluated the samples to determine the grade of dysphonia (G) using a scale of 0-0.5 (=normal), 0.5-1 (=mild), 1-2 (=moderate), and 2-3 (=severe). Three medial seconds of [a:] and the first 31 syllables of the text were analyzed using AVQI script version 03.01 in Praat (5.3.55). The analysis gives one AVQI score per participant (scale 0-10). The AVQI threshold of normal and disordered voices for Finnish speakers is 1.83; a Gmean = 0.0-0.5 and VHI score <19 were considered normal. Statistical analysis was done using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, Spearman's correlation coefficient, and the independent samples t test. RESULTS: According to the AVQI results, the area under the curve (AROC) was 0.554, which is fair. The Youden index gave a cutoff value of 0.30 with a sensitivity of 85% and a specificity of 81.1%. There were weak but significant correlations between Gmean and AVQI and two AVQI parameters, smoothed cepstral peak prominence and harmonic-to-noise ratio (r = 0.27; --0.24; -0.20, respectively; |P < 0.05); and between total VHI and AVQI score and cepstral peak prominence (r = 0.21; 0.20, respectively; P < 0.05). Furthermore, the AVQI scores differed significantly between the groups with a VHI total score <19 and ≥19. CONCLUSIONS: AVQI did not differentiate between voices that had been perceptually judged as normal or slightly abnormal, but a combination of perceptual assessment in the form of AVQI and VHI could better screen slightly deviant voices.

Quality of Life After Botulinum Toxin Injection in Patients With Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia; a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Adductor spasmodic dysphonia is an extremely disabling voice disorder that negatively impacts a patient's quality of life (QOL). We performed a systematic review to determine if Botulinum Toxin (BT) injections improved voice related QOL in patients with this disorder. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, ProQuest, and Scopus from 2000, to and including November 1st, 2018, were searched. We identified randomized controlled trials, controlled trials, and observational studies of the effects of BT injections on the QOL in patients with adductor spasmodic dysphonia. The two authors, separately and individually chose the studies based on inclusion criteria, assessed study quality, and relevant extracted data. RESULTS: Nine studies used the Voice Handicap Index (VHI). The results showed significant changes pre- to post-BT injection (SMD = -0.357; 95% CI: -0.579, -0.136; z = 3.16; P = 0.002; I-squared = 0.000%). Five studies used the Voice-Related QOL; their results also showed a significant improvement pre- to postinjection (SMD = -2.99; 95% CI: -3.27, -1.32; z = 4.61; P < 0.001; I-squared = 87%). Three other studies used other, shortened versions of the VHI, VHI-10. They also showed significant results (SMD = -0.145; 95% CI: -0.349, 0.06; z = 1.38; P = 0.17; I-squared = 0.000). CONCLUSION: BT injections positively affect patients' QOL. However, patients' QOL scores may never be normalized, in line with perceptual voice quality and acoustic parameters.

Translation, Validity, and Reliability of the Persian Version of the Aging Voice Index.

OBJECTIVES: The Aging Voice Index (AVI) was developed to study quality of life in older adults with voice disorders. The purpose of this study was to translate the original English version of the AVI to Persian version of Aging Voice Index (P-AVI) and validate the P-AVI for the Persian-speaking older adults with voice disorders. METHODS: A cross-sectional, descriptive, and methodological study was performed to translate and validate the Persian version of the AVI. The translation was performed in accordance with recommendations from the World Health Organization. Eighty-five treatment-seeking patients with voice disorders and 20 older adults without voice complaints were recruited for this study. Psychometric properties were investigated, including: different types of validity (content validity, construct validity, and criterion-related validity), reliability (test-retest and internal consistency), and item analysis of the Persian version of AVI. The relationship between total score of P-AVI and age, sex, and voice pathology were determined using multiple linear regression. RESULTS: A panel of three speech pathologists performed the content validity of the P-AVI and reached agreement on all of the items. Construct validity was confirmed by a significant difference in the mean of total score of the P-AVI was identified between the particiapnts with voice disorders and those with no voice complaints (P < 0.001). There was high correlation between the total scores of the participants in the Persian version of the AVI and the Persian version of the voice-related quality of life (r = 0.86, P < 0.001). All reliability measures were found to be good with scores higher than 0.8. To assess the need for item reduction, a Cronbach's alpha coefficient remained constant with the elimination of each item; therefore, all no items were removed. Age and voice pathology were not predictive for the total P-AVI score, but a weak effect was identified for sex and the total score of P-AVI (F = 18.75, P < 0.001) with an R2 of 0.21. CONCLUSIONS: The Persian version of AVI is a valid and reliable questionnaire designed specifically for older adults that speech-language pathologists and otolaryngologists can use to objectively assess the impact of voice disorders in aging Persian-speaking patients.

Translation and Validation of the Voice Catastrophization Index for Persian-Speaking Patients with Dysphonia.

PURPOSE: Catastrophization refers to the cognitive distortion that is experienced by patients with several diseases who suffer from pain. There is some evidence that catastrophization may be found in patients with voice disorders. The Voice Catastrophization Index (VCI) was developed in English to measure catastrophization in patients with dysphonia. The goal of this research was to translate and validate the Persian version of the VCI (P-VCI) for use with Persian-speaking people in Iran and elsewhere. METHODS: This was a prospective and cross-sectional study. First, the questionnaire was translated, then its various psychometric properties were investigated. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in mean P-VCI score between participants with and without dysphonia (p < 0.001). Test-retest reliability for the total score of P-VCI was excellent (ICC = 0.94, p < 0.001), as was its internal consistency, as determined by Cronbach's alpha coefficient (α = 0.956). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that some of the indices show a good fit for the 3-subscale model. There was a moderate correlation in criterion-related validity between the P-VCI and Voice Activity Participation Profile - Persian version (r = 0.644, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The translated test exhibited satisfactory psychometric properties. The P-VCI is a valid and reliable tool for the assessment of catastrophization in persons with voice disorders.

Normative data on nasalance scores for Farsi speaking children: Influence of age, gender and phonetic context.

BACKGROUND: Normative nasalance scores are essential for treatment and assessment purposes for clinicians. The purpose of the current study is to determine the normative data on nasalance scores for Farsi speaking children. Comparing to the obtained normative data, hypernasal or hyponasal speech (i.e. the higher or lower nasalance score) can be evaluated. METHODS: Ninety-six Farsi speakers ranging from 4 years to 11 years old with typically developing speech were included in this study. Mean nasalance scores were obtained using the Universal Parameters System sentences with nasometer II (model 6450). The nasalance data was also analyzed for any gender, age and phonetic context dependence. RESULTS: Normative nasalance values were determined, Nno differences were found for gender and age for the school-aged children. With an increasing in age, the nasalance score also increased in oral passages but not in nasal passages. Furthermore, amongst the nasalance scores there was a significant difference between these four categories of sentences: 7 sentences loaded with oral stop consonants, 5 sentences loaded with oral fricative consonants, 2 sentences loaded with oral affricatives and 3 sentences loaded with nasal consonants. CONCLUSIONS: The absence of age and gender differences led to a computation of an overall mean nasalance score for different types of phonetic context (Nasal, oral and oronasal). These normative nasalance data for Farsi speaking children will provide important reference information during speech assessments of children with velopharyngeal insufficiency.

Quality of Life and Voice Changes After a Single Injection in Patients With ADSD Over Time.

INTRODUCTION: Adductor spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD) is one of the most disabling voice disorders with no permanent cure. Patients with ADSD suffer from poor voice quality and repeated interruption of phonation that leads to limitations in daily communication. Botox (BT) injection, considered the gold standard treatment for ADSD, reduces the amount of voice breaks and improves voice quality for a limited period. In this study, patients with ADSD were followed after a single BT injection to track the changes in QOL and perceptual voice quality over a 6-month period. METHOD: This is a prospective and longitudinal study. Fifteen patients with ADSD were evaluated preinjection and 1, 3, and 6 months postinjection. They completed the Voice Activity and Participation Profile-Persian Version (VAPPP) and read a passage at each recording period. Perceptual assessment was done by three expert speech-language pathologists with knowledge of ADSD using the grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, strain (GRBAS) scale. The data were analyzed using Friedman, Wilcoxon, and McNemar tests. The significance level was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: The VAPPP total score and each of the domain scores reached their peak scores at 3 months postinjection. At 6 months postinjection, the VAPPP scores increased significantly in comparison with the 3-month scores and but were lower than preinjection scores. GRBAS results also indicated that patients' voices at 1 and 3 months postinjection were significantly less severe in terms of strain and roughness (P = 0.01; P < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: BT injection resulted in improvement of subjects' QOL. The improvement was greatest at 3 months postinjection but remained above the preinjection values at 6 months after injection. The voice quality also improved but was not judged as normal.

Cross-cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Persian Version of Voice Disability Coping Questionnaire (P-VDCQ): Introducing a New Instrument.

OBJECTIVES: Coping is one of the important concepts in psychology, which is pertinent to how persons with illness manage the stress of that condition. Voice Disability Coping Questionnaire (VDCQ) is an assessment tool for quantifying coping strategies in those with voice disability. The purpose of the present study was to investigate reliability and validity of the Persian version of VDCQ (P-VDCQ). METHOD: Translation procedure was performed according to the World Health Organization guidelines, and then 138 persons (88 persons with voice disorders and 50 controls) completed the questionnaire. Psychometric properties of the P-VDCQ were investigated. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between the mean value of patients with dysphonia and that of the control group. The results of test-result reliability indicated that there is a high correlation between repeated administration of the questionnaire (intraclass correlation coefficient = 89.7). Also, a high Cronbach's alpha coefficient (α = 0.94) revealed a good internal consistency. Participants' scores in this instrument had a moderate correlation with their scores on Voice Activity Participation Profile-Persian version (r = 0.41, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The P-VDCQ is a reliable and a valid instrument that can be used to investigate coping strategies of patients with dysphonia in clinical settings and for research purposes.

Psychometric Properties of Voice Activity Participation Profile-Persian Version (VAPPP).

OBJECTIVES: Individuals with voice disorders may experience limits in activity and restricted participation in daily activities. The aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Voice Activity Participation Profile-Persian Version (VAPPP), a questionnaire which specifically investigates activity limitation and participation restriction in Persian-speaking individuals with voice disorders. METHOD: We completed a translation procedure according to World Health Organization guidelines, prior to administering the questionnaire to 208 participants (156 patients with dysphonia and 52 controls), each of whom completed the questionnaire. We examined various psychometric properties including item analysis, factor analysis, internal consistency, discriminant validity, criterion-related validity, and test-retest reliability were investigated for this questionnaire. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the 27 items on the VAPPP were distributed across four factors and that the first question, which assesses self-perceived dysphonia severity, was grouped separately. All the four subscales and total VAPPP have high internal consistency and test-retest reliability based on Cronbach's alpha coefficients and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Job effects (α = 0.85; ICC = 0.96), daily communication effects (α = 0.96; ICC = 0.83), social communication effects (α = 0.91; ICC = 0.93), emotional effects (α = 0.94; ICC = 0.76), and total score (α = 0.97; ICC = 0.88) are presented. VAPPP scores in patients with dysphonia were significantly different from those of the healthy control group (P < 0.001). The VAPPP total score has a high correlation to the Voice Handicap Index (r = 0.86; P < 0.001) CONCLUSION: The VAPPP is a reliable and valid tool for evaluating the quality of life of patients with dysphonia in Iran.

How Do Voice Perceptual Changes Predict Acoustic Parameters in Persian Voice Patients?

INTRODUCTION: Perceptual and acoustic analyses are essential tools that help voice therapists comprehensively assess voice quality. While perceptual evaluations are subjective and are influenced by external and culturally driven factors, acoustic analysis is an objective and reliable means of evaluating voice. The goals of this study were (1) to determine which acoustic parameters were predicted by perceptual voice quality and (2) to assess the effect of a short period of training on the reliability of perceptual voice analyses for Persian speakers. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional study. Subjects were 20 patients with various voice disorders. Voice samples were obtained during text reading and /a/ prolongation. Fifteen expert voice clinicians completed perceptual evaluations on voice samples using the Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, and Strain scale. We repeated this process after a short period of perceptual voice evaluation training. Acoustic analysis was completed using the Praat program. We used the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for reliability measurement of the perceptual evaluation results and ordinal regression procedures to analyze all data. Significance level was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: Both intrarater and interrater reliability increased after training, for all five parameters. The ICC for grade increased to 0.95 after training. Grade and roughness significantly predicted fundamental frequency (F0) (P = 0.021 and P = 0.030, respectively) and harmonic-to-noise ratio (HNR) (P = 0.019 and P = 0.016, respectively). Breathiness significantly predicted shimmer (P = 0.013). CONCLUSION: Training had a positive effect and increased the reliability of perceptual voice evaluation. For Persian listeners, changes in F0, increases in HNR, and shimmer were perceptually associated with poor voice quality.

Vocal Function Exercises for Muscle Tension Dysphonia: Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation and Self-Assessment Rating.

OBJECTIVE: Muscle tension dysphonia (MTD) is a functional dysphonia, which appears with an excessive tension in the intrinsic and extrinsic laryngeal musculatures. MTD can affect voice quality and quality of life. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of vocal function exercises (VFEs) on perceptual and self-assessment ratings in a group of 15 subjects with MTD. METHODS: The study comprised 15 subjects with MTD (8 men and 7 women, mean age 39.8 years, standard deviation 10.6, age range 24-62 years). All participants were native Persian speakers who underwent a 6-week course of VFEs. The Voice Handicap Index (VHI) (the self-assessment scale) and Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, Strain (GRBAS) scale (perceptual rating of voice quality) were used to compare pre- and post-VFEs. RESULTS: GRBAS data of patients before and after VFEs were compared using Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and VHI data of patients pre- and post-VFEs were compared using Student paired t test. These perceptual parameters showed a statistically significant improvement in subjects with MTD after voice therapy (significant at P < 0.05 (*) and P < 0.004 (**)). Also results indicated statistically noticeable reduction in the mean VHI scores across subjects with MTD (significant at P < 0.05 (*) and P < 0.004 (**)). CONCLUSIONS: Significant improvement after therapy for participants has been observed by the aid of auditory-perceptual ratings of voice quality (with the GRBAS scale) and the patient's self-assessment ratings measurements (with the VHI). As a result, the data provide evidence regarding the efficacy of VFEs in the treatment of patients with MTD.

Relationship between Voice Complaints and Subjective and Objective Measures of Vocal Function in Iranian Female Teachers.

OBJECTIVES: Teachers are at high risk of developing voice problems because of the excessive vocal demands necessitated by their profession. Teachers' self-assessment of vocal complaints, combined with subjective and objective measures of voice, may enable better therapeutic decision-making. This investigation compared audio-perceptual assessment and acoustic variables in teachers with and without voice complaints. METHODS: Ninety-nine teachers completed this cross-sectional study and were assigned to one of two groups: those "with voice complaint (VC)" and those "without voice complaint (W-VC)." Voice samples were collected during reading, counting, and vowel prolongation tasks. Teachers were also asked to document any voice symptoms they experienced. Voice samples were analyzed using Dr. Speech program (4th version; Tiger Ltd., USA), and labeled "normal" or "abnormal" according to the "grade" dimension "G" from GRBAS scale. RESULTS: Twenty-one teachers were assigned to the VC group based on self-assessment data. There were statistically significant differences between the two groups with regard to self-reported voice symptoms of hoarseness, breathiness, pitch breaks, and vocal fatigue (P < 0.05). Fourteen participants in the VC group and 40 from the W-VC group were determined to demonstrate "abnormal" vocal quality on perceptual assessment. Only harmonic-to-noise ratio was significantly higher for the W-VC group (ES = 0.55). CONCLUSION: Teachers with and without voice complaints differed in the incidence, but not type of voice symptoms. Teachers' voice complaints did not correspond to perceptual and acoustic measures. This suggests a potential unmet need for teachers to receive further education on voice disorders.

Language Parameters of 4- to 7-Year-Old Persian-Speaking Children with Cleft Lip and Palate.

OBJECTIVE: There are several risk factors including hearing difficulties, lack of language stimulation, and parents' low level of expectation leading to language disorders in children with cleft palate. Therefore, formal language assessments of children with cleft palate are of great importance in order to prevent further disabilities. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate language parameters in 4- to 7-year old Persian-speaking children with cleft palate. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 16 children with unilateral and bilateral cleft lip and palate aged between 4 and 7 years participated in the experiment. The Test of Language Development-Primary, third edition (TOLD-P3) was performed to evaluate the language parameters. The results were scored according to the test manual and compared to normative data published with the TOLD-P3. RESULTS: t test analysis showed a significant difference between language parameters in children with cleft lip and palate and the normative data (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between different aspects of language performance. CONCLUSION: The findings emphasize that speech-language pathologists should also concentrate on early language assessment and treatment for children with cleft lip and palate.

The Effects of a Voice Education Program on VHI Scores of Elementary School Teachers.

INTRODUCTION: Teachers seem to be vulnerable to voice disorders because of excessive use of their voice. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a voice education program on the Vocal Handicap Index (VHI) scores of elementary school teachers in the Persian education system. METHOD: This was a semi-experimental study, performed in Shiraz public schools. Ten schools were selected on their similarity in number of students and teachers, and allocated at random to training or control groups. Sixty-one teachers in the training group and 66 teachers in the control group completed the VHI in the first week. Teachers in the trained group received voice education for 4 weeks, and then continued to follow the program for a further 4 weeks. The control group received no training. After 8 weeks, all subjects completed the questionnaire again. RESULTS: Compliance was good for all practices except "breathing exercises" and "using amplifiers" where it was exceptionally poor. Teachers in the training group improved significantly in total VHI score (from 14.2 to 6.8), whereas the control group showed a significant worsening (from 10.1 to 13.7). These effects were significant (P < 0.05) for total VHI score and for all subscales. The corresponding effect sizes for the training group range from -0.53 to -0.84 (-0.83 in the overall VHI). CONCLUSION: A voice education program can have positive effects on the voice of teachers, even without dysphonia, in the middle of their teaching. Such a program may have a place in the Persian education system.