Objective:
The Acoustic Voice Quality Index (AVQI) is a multiparametric construct for quantitative assessment of dysphonia severity based on analyzing sustained vowels and continuous speech. Validity of AVQI has been well-established in different languages including Turkish, Korean, etc., but not Mandarin Chinese. It is not known if the tool works equally well for Mandarin speakers. Seeing the unique tonal features of Mandarin, the present study aims to investigate the validity of AVQI for Mandarin speakers, with the aim of determining the most suitable continuous speech sample for clinical practice.
Methods:
A total of 140 voice samples (90 with dysphonic and 50 normophonic voices) produced by native Mandarin speakers were used in the study. Each participant was introduced to produce the sustained vowel /a/ and read two continuous speech samples, including a Mandarin passage, and counting number 1-20. Voice samples were recorded using Praat, from which the AVQI scores were obtained for each individual. Perceptual voice quality assessments were provided by four speech-language pathologists based on the GRBAS scale. Concurrent validity and diagnostic accuracy of the AVQI were analyzed.
Results:
Preliminary results revealed that higher AVQI scores in the dysphonic group compared to the normophonic group, with high correlation between AVQI and GRBAS ratings. Further analysis will explore the diagnostic accuracy and validation of the optimal threshold values for clinical use.
Conclusions:
The AVQI showed promising validity for voice assessment among Mandarin speakers, suggesting that it may serve as an objective tool for voice quality evaluation for the Mandarin-speaking population.