RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Methods of perceptual voice evaluation have yet to achieve satisfactory consistency; complete acceptance of a recognised clinical protocol is still some way off. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three speech and language therapists rated the voices of 43 patients attending the problem asthma clinic of a teaching hospital, according to the grade-roughness-breathiness-asthenicity-strain (GRBAS) scale and other perceptual categories. RESULTS AND ANALYSIS: Use of the GRBAS scale achieved only a 64.7 per cent inter-rater reliability and a 69.6 per cent intra-rater reliability for the grade component. One rater achieved a higher degree of consistency. Improved concordance on the GRBAS scale was observed for subjects with laryngeal abnormalities. Raters failed to reach any useful level of agreement in the other categories employed, except for perceived gender. DISCUSSION: These results should sound a note of caution regarding routine adoption of the GRBAS scale for characterising voice quality for clinical purposes. The importance of training and the use of perceptual anchors for reliable perceptual rating need to be further investigated.
Assuntos
Asma/tratamento farmacológico , Disfonia/induzido quimicamente , Laringe/efeitos dos fármacos , Qualidade da Voz , Adulto , Análise de Variância , Asma/complicações , Disfonia/etiologia , Disfonia/terapia , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Variações Dependentes do Observador , Guias de Prática Clínica como Assunto , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Acústica da Fala , Percepção da Fala/fisiologia , Patologia da Fala e LinguagemRESUMO
Before evaluation of the efficacy of voice therapy is possible it is necessary to define established practice. The aim of this study therefore was to assess the prevailing treatment strategies among UK voice therapists for commonly presenting causes of dysphonia.
