Reproducibility of Automated Voice Range Profiles, a Systematic Literature Review.

OBJECTIVE

Reliable voice range profiles are of great importance when measuring effects and side effects from surgery affecting voice capacity. Automated recording systems are increasingly used, but the reproducibility of results is uncertain. Our objective was to identify and review the existing literature on test-retest accuracy of the automated voice range profile assessment.

STUDY DESIGN

Systematic review.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, ComDisDome, Embase, and CINAHL (EBSCO).

METHODS

We conducted a systematic literature search of six databases from 1983 to 2016. The following keywords were used: phonetogram, voice range profile, and acoustic voice analysis. Inclusion criteria were automated recording procedure, healthy voices, and no intervention between test and retest. Test-retest values concerning fundamental frequency and voice intensity were reviewed.

RESULTS

Of 483 abstracts, 231 full-text articles were read, resulting in six articles included in the final results. The studies found high reliability, but data are few and heterogeneous.

CONCLUSION

The reviewed articles generally reported high reliability of the voice range profile, and thus clinical usefulness, but uncertainty remains because of low sample sizes and different procedures for selecting, collecting, and analyzing data. More data are needed, and clinical conclusions must be drawn with caution.