A Preliminary Investigation of the Reliability of Acoustic Parameters of Voice through Smartphone Recordings in Individuals with Dysphonia

Abstract

Telepractice offers the opportunity to receive care at home without risk of exposure to healthcare acquired infections, especially during a pandemic. Hence, establishing the reliability of the diagnosis of dysphonia via a smartphone is fundamental to providing an alternative service delivery model. A total of 20 participants participated in the study. Recordings of sentence-based voice samples were done using a standardized microphone and the software used in labs and on smartphones. Comparisons were made of acoustic and perceptual voice in real-time and recorded samples speech in persons with typical vs pathological voice. Results revealed no significant differences perceptually between real-time voice and recorded voice in individuals with typical and pathological voices. In acoustic analysis, there was no significant difference in Fundamental frequency (F0) and Auditory Voice Quality Index (AVQI) between real-time voice and recorded voice in individuals with typical and pathological voice.

Keywords

• Acoustic measures
• Smartphones
• Telelepractice
• Telerehabilitation