F. Mertens

Evaluation of the Vocal Performance of Children Using a Voice Range Profile Index

Voice range profiles (VRPs) were analyzed according to 11 frequency, intensity, and morphological characteristics for 94 normal children and 136 children with vocal fold pathologies (ages 6-11 years). Normative data are presented showing marked differences between the groups. Using a specific combination of the childs age, the highest vocal fundamental frequency, the lowest intensity, and the slope of the upper VRP contour, a Voice Range Profile Index for Children (VRPIc) may be constructed using discriminant analysis. It is shown how the VRPIc can be used to screen children for vocal disorder or to quantitatively assess the effectiveness of voice treatment. Since the group means of the VRPIc for healthy and dysphonic children are scaled to +10 and -10, respectively, the VRPIc enables the clinician to rate a childs vocal performance with reference to healthy and dysphonic children in general. The sensitivity and specificity of this method was found to be 90% and 83%, respectively.

Effects of age, sex, and disorder on voice range profile characteristics of 230 children.

In this study, the effect of age, sex, and disorder on the vocal performance of 230 children 6 to 11 years of age was investigated by means of the voice range profile (VRP). Ninety-four control children and 136 children with disorders were studied. The VRPs were quantitatively described by frequency and intensity characteristics, as well as by morphological characteristics. Significant differences between healthy children and children with disorders were found. Age has a different effect in girls than in boys regarding vocal performance. Most of the characteristics for the healthy girls change gradually over the period from 6 to 11 years. For the healthy boys, however, Two age groups can be identified: one below and one above 8 years of age. It is hypothesized that the androgen dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate may play a role in this phenomenon.

Normative voice range profiles of male and female professional voice users.

Normative voice range profiles (VRP) are calculated for a group of male and female teachers, based on 43 and 46 recordings, respectively. All individuals had healthy voices. These normative VRPs contain 95% prediction intervals for both frequency and intensity. They are based on a series of mathematical transformations of the original individual VRPs in order to maintain in the normative VRPs the typical oval VRP shape, including the dip between modal and falsetto register. The normative VRPs presented are directly applicable in the clinical practice of otolaryngologists and speech-language pathologists.

Normative voice range profiles of untrained boys and girls

Normative voice range profiles (VRPs) are calculated for a group of untrained boys and girls between 6 and 11 years based on 35 and 39 recordings, respectively. All individuals had healthy voices. These normative VRPs contain 95% prediction intervals (PI) for both frequency and intensity. They are based on a series of mathematical transformations of the original individual VRPs in order to maintain in the normative VRPs the typical oval VRP shape including the dip between modal and falsetto register. The presented normative VRPs are directly applicable in the clinical practice of otolaryngologists and speech-language pathologists.