Study for Correlation between Objective and Subjective Voice Parameters in Patients with Dysphonia

Park, Jung Woo; Kim, Boram; Oh, Jae Hwan; Kang, Tae Kyu; Kim, Dong Young; Woo, Joo Hyun

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Voice evaluation is classified into subjective tests such as auditory perception and self-measurement, and objective tests such as acoustic and aerodynamic analysis. When evaluating dysphonia, subjective and objective test results do not always match. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between subjective and objective evaluation in patients with dysphonia and to identify meaningful parameters by disease. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The total of 322 patients who visited voice clinic from May 2017 to May 2018 were included in this study. Laryngeal lesions were identified using stroboscopy. Pearson correlation test was performed to analyse correlation between subjective tests including GRBAS scale and voice handicap index, and objective tests including jitter, shimmer, noise to harmonic ratio (NHR), cepstral peak prominence (CPP), maximal phonation time (MPT), mean flow rate, and subglottic pressure.
RESULTS
In vocal nodule and sulcus vocalis, among GRBAS system, grade and breathiness showed good correlation with CPP, and roughness showed good correlation with jitter or shimmer. In unilateral vocal cord paralysis (UVCP), grade and breathiness showed a very good correlation with CPP, and also good correlation with jitter, shimmer, NHR, and MPT. Also asthenia showed good correlation with CPP and MPT. Vocal polyp has a limited association with other diseases.
CONCLUSION
In patients with dysphonia, grade and breathiness showed good correlation with CPP, jitter, and shimmer, and reflect the state of voice change well especially in UVCP, CPP, and MPT.