Acoustic Analysis: An Objective Tool in Evaluating Patients with Voice Disorders

Abstract

Ab s t r Ac t Introduction: Acoustic measurements are the most widely studied of all voice measures. Our study aimed to determine the accuracy of acoustic analysis as an objective tool for evaluating patients with voice disorders. Materials and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study with a total of 73 patients was analyzed using Dr Speech software. Results: When the vocal parameters were compared between normal subjects and patients with vocal cord diseases, significant differences were seen in most of the parameters like jitter, shimmer, Normalized Noise Energy (NNE), Harmonic to Noise Ratio (HNR), Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) along with a statistically significant difference in voice quality scores like harsh voice, hoarse voice, and breathy voice. Conclusion: Hence, from our study, it can be said that acoustic analysis is a reliable objective tool for evaluating voice disorders.