Auditory-perceptual Judgement |
• Auditory-perceptual judgement is considered the gold standard in the vocal clinic because the voice is a perceptual phenomenon. |
• Professional judgement requires specific training. |
• Reliability varies according to the type of stimulus, task, the experience of the evaluators, among others. |
• Roughness, breathiness, and strain are the three main vocal deviations. |
• GRBASI and CAPE-V scales are the most used. |
• GRBASI is simpler but less sensitive to less obvious changes in vocal quality. |
• CAPE-V requires more training but better identifies small increments with treatment |
Acoustic Evaluation |
• Essential documentation in the vocal clinic. |
• Quality of recording is crucial to its reliability. |
• Allows evaluation of source and filters contribution. |
• Provides vocal production information. |
• Public-use or low-cost programs are available. |
• Makes the voice more concrete, allowing visuo-vocal association. |
• It can be performed descriptively, regardless of the type of vocal signal, by spectrographic analysis. |
• It can be performed by extracting acoustic parameters depending or not on the extraction of the fundamental frequency. |
• Isolated parameters that depend on the extraction of the fundamental frequency have limited value. |
• Multiparametric indexes or cepstral measurements are more reliable and promising. |
• Moderate correlation with auditory-perceptual judgement. |
Voice self-assessment |
• Unquestionable contribution to the vocal assessment. |
• Explores the unique perspective of those living with a voice problem. |
• Offers data that cannot be estimated by other assessments. |
• Protocols developed in other languages require cultural and linguistic adaptation and validation with verification of psychometric properties for use in Portuguese. |
• Together with the auditory-perceptual judgement and the acoustic assessment, it forms an important triad of individual vocal assessment. |
Traditional Vocal Therapy Techniques |
• There are a variety of techniques, methods, and programs analyzed with studies of different designs and variable methodological quality. |
• The greatest evidence of scientific proof of vocal therapy was produced with these techniques. |
• Programs such as LSVT and VFE concentrate the largest number of studies. |
• Semi-occluded vocal tract exercises are varied, described a long time ago, and submitted to several scientific studies. |
• Brazil occupies an important space in the study of traditional vocal therapy techniques |
Electrostimulation in Vocal Rehabilitation |
• Used in other health sciences, it has shown interesting results in the vocal clinic. |
• It has already produced high-quality evidence of its effect in the treatment of certain dysphonias. |
• The type of current used has special consideration in clinical application. |
• Its different currents and parameter settings can allow sensory, motor, or both laryngeal focus. |
• It is seen as an adjunct treatment and not as a sole resource in cases of dysphonia |
Photobiomodulation in Voice |
• Used in other health sciences, it still needs to produce scientific evidence in the vocal clinic. |
• The choice of dosimetric parameters has special consideration in clinical application. |
• It is seen as an adjunct treatment and not as a sole resource in cases of dysphonia. |
• Can also be used for vocal conditioning |