American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology Vol.19 248-258 August 2010. doi:10.1044/1058-0360(2010/09-0012)
© American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
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Research Article

The Role of Listener Experience on Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-V) Ratings of Postthyroidectomy Voice

Leah B. Helou
Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC, and University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

Nancy Pearl Solomon
Walter Reed Army Medical Center

Leonard R. Henry
National Navy Medical Center, Bethesda, MD

George L. Coppit
Robin S. Howard
Alexander Stojadinovic
Walter Reed Army Medical Center

Contact author: Leah B. Helou, Voice Physiology & Motor Learning Lab, Communication Science & Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, 4033 Forbes Tower, Pittsburgh, PA 15260. E-mail: lbh7{at}pitt.edu.

Purpose: To determine whether experienced and inexperienced listeners rate postthyroidectomy voice samples similarly using the Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-V).

Method: Prospective observational study of voice quality ratings of randomized and blinded voice samples was performed. Twenty-one postthyroidectomy patients' voices, representing a wide range of severities, were rated using a custom-automated version of the CAPE-V. Ten male and 11 female voices were rated by 10 experienced and 10 inexperienced listeners. Experienced listeners consisted of 5 otolaryngologists (ENTs) and 5 speech-language pathologists (SLPs); inexperienced listeners were medical professionals with no formal training or experience in voice disorders.

Results: Inexperienced listeners rated voices as more severely impaired than experienced listeners for all CAPE-V parameters (p ≤ .003). Those without experience in voice disorders had lower intra- and interrater reliability (e.g., r = .838 and .528, respectively, for overall severity) than those with experience in voice disorders (e.g., r = .911 and .722, respectively, for overall severity) for all parameters. Among experienced listeners, ENTs and SLPs rated voices similarly for most parameters.

Conclusions: Experienced and inexperienced listeners judged voice quality differently given minimal training with the use of the CAPE-V. SLPs and ENTs rated postthyroidectomy voice quality similarly. These findings indicate that the CAPE-V can be used reliably and similarly by professionals who specialize in voice disorders.

Key Words: Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice, voice quality, clinical ratings, thyroidectomy


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