ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To investigate the accuracy of the Acoustic Voice Quality Index (AVQI), the Acoustic Breathiness Index (ABI), and the Dysphonia Severity Index (DSI) for speech-language pathologist (SLP) decision-making in the evaluation of teachers' voice conditions. METHODS: Cross-sectional observational study with a convenience sample composed of 21 teachers "fit" in carrying out their work activities as a teacher, and 21 considered "unfit" for the same. All teachers underwent a voice evaluation, carried out by a voice-specialized speech-language pathologist. Voice evaluation included the SLP's opinion on whether the teachers presented "fit" or "unfit" for work. The voice and speech samples used for the AVQI and ABI scores were the mid-three seconds of a sustained vowel /a/, and a spontaneous count from 1 to 10. The following parameters were used to extract the DSI score: mid-three seconds of a sustained vowel /a/, maximum phonation time of a sustained vowel /a/, ascending vocal glide on the vowel /a/ until reaching the highest pitch, and sustained vowel /a/ at the softest possible vocal intensity. The t-test was used to compare the difference between the AVQI and ABI indices. The Mann-Whitney test was used for the DSI index, with a confidence level of 95%. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used for accuracy analysis. RESULTS: There was a difference in AVQI values (P=0.008), ABI (P=0.014), and DSI (P=0.000) between groups. The cutoff points that revealed the highest specificity for the AVQI, ABI, and DSI respectively were 3.33 (sensitivity 57.1% and specificity 90.5%), 4 (sensitivity 57.1% and specificity 85.7%), and 1.62 (sensitivity 71.4% and specificity 90.5%). CONCLUSION: The AVQI, ABI, and DSI are instruments that provide robust voice information and can help speech-language pathologists in their decision-making about whether teachers must or must not be restricted in their vocal activities at work.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To analyze and compare cepstral measurements in singing and non-singing men and women to understand if vocal adaptations of singers reflect greater cepstral measurement results. METHOD: The study included 91 vocally healthy individuals, consisting of 60 erudite or popular singers (30 males, 30 females) and 31 non-singers (16 males, 15 females). The Cepstral Peak Prominence (CPP) and Cepstral Peak Prominence-Smoothed (CPPS) measures were carried out using the sustained /a/ vowel recorded with a unidirectional condenser microphone associated with a sound card on the computer. The Praat software (version 6.1.16) was used to extract the CPP and CPPS measurements. The intra and intergroup values obtained for each sex were compared using the t-test with a 5% significance level. RESULTS: There was a CPP (P = 0,000) and CPPS (P = 0,000 and P = 0,001) value difference between the sexes in both groups. Cepstral measurements showed no statistically significant difference between singing and non-singing participants (male: P = 0,778 and P = 0,622; female: P = 0,622 and P = 0,460). CONCLUSION: Men presented higher CPP and CPPS values than women, which may be related to the presence of the physiological posterior glottic cleft in women. The knowledge of the cepstral values of singers shows that singing specificities may not reflect in all vocal evaluations.
Subject(s)
Singing , Voice , Humans , Male , Female , Speech Acoustics , Voice Quality , SoftwareABSTRACT
OBJETIVO: Verificar se as informações colhidas no teste de emissão de ar nasal apresentam compatibilidade com os achados da nasofaringoscopia, podendo auxiliar no julgamento da funcionalidade do mecanismo velofaríngeo. MÉTODOS: Foram analisados os achados do teste de emissão de ar nasal e nasofaringoscopia em 21 indivíduos operados de fissura pós-forame e transforame incisivo, de ambos os gêneros, com idade superior a oito anos. A correlação foi feita observando se, diante de um gap velofaríngeo (espaço entre as estruturas da região velofaríngea) visualizado na nasofaringoscopia, notava-se embaçamento do espelho de Glatzel no teste de emissão de ar nasal. Os dados foram analisados estatisticamente pelo índice de Kappa. RESULTADOS: Notou-se concordância entre os testes (p<0,05), sendo esta considerada mais alta durante o sopro, emissão de plosivos isolados e fricativos em palavras e frases (Kappa: 0,897; 0,887; 0,774 e 0,774, respectivamente), do que para a emissão de plosivos em palavras, fricativos isolados e plosivos em frases (Kappa: 0,691; 0,640 e 0,488, respectivamente). A incompatibilidade ocorreu em poucos casos, na presença de gap pequeno, fechamento total e fechamento total com borbulha. Quanto à tendência de fechamento velofaríngeo, verificou-se predominância do tipo coronal (48 por cento), sendo notado melhora do mesmo com o uso de prova terapêutica em 62 por cento dos sujeitos. CONCLUSÃO: Foi observada a validade do teste de emissão de ar nasal quando comparado à nasofaringoscopia. Contudo, é importante que o teste de emissão de ar nasal seja aplicado de forma criteriosa e que a realização deste, não substitua a nasofaringoscopia, que é conclusiva para o planejamento cirúrgico e terapêutico.
OBJECTIVE: To verify whether the information collected in the nasal air emission test are compatible to the nasopharyngoscopy findings, helping the assessment of the velopharyngeal mechanism functionality. METHODS: The findings of nasal air emission test and nasopharyngoscopy were analyzed in 21 individuals of both genders, over the age of 8 years, operated for post-foramen and transincisive foramen fissure. The correlation was carried out observing whether or not, in the face of a velopharyngeal gap visualized in the nasopharyngoscopy, misting of the Glatzel mirror was noted in the nasal air emission test. Data were statistically analyzed using the Kappa index. RESULTS: An agreement was observed between the tests (p<0,05), and it was considered higher during blowing, emission of isolated stops and fricatives in words and phrases (Kappa: 0,897; 0,887; 0,774 and 0,774, respectively), than for emission of stops in words, isolated fricatives and stops in phrases (Kappa: 0,691; 0,640 and 0,488, respectively). Incompatibility occurred in a few cases, in the presence of a small gap, complete closing and complete closing with bubbling. Regarding the tendency of velopharyngeal closing, it was found a predominance of the coronal type (48 percent), and improvement was noted in 62 percent of the subjects with the use of therapeutic test. CONCLUSION: The validity of the nasal air emission test when compared with nasopharyngoscopy was observed. It is, however, important to emphasize that the nasal air emission test must be carefully applied and it shouldn't replace the nasopharyngoscopy, which is conclusive for surgical and therapeutic planning.
