Diagnostic Accuracy of DSI and AVQI v.02.03 in Discriminating across the Perceptual Levels of Dysphonia in Kannada Speaking Population

Abstract

The present study investigated and compared the diagnostic accuracy of DSI and AVQI in Indian adults in the age range of 18-40 years across different levels of dysphonia severity.Normophonic individuals (n=163) and individuals with dysphonia (n=134) were selected using purposive sampling in the age range of 18-40 years. For DSI, Computerized Speech Lab 4500 and for AVQI, Praat 6.1.03 was used for recording. The results of ROC analysis for DSI have revealed that DSI can discriminate the normophonic vs. mild, mild vs. moderate, and moderate versus severe dysphonic with cut-off values of 1.36, -1.83 and -4.07 respectively. The sensitivity and specificity reported for mild vs. moderate and moderate vs. severe is slightly lower for obtained threshold points. For AVQI v.02.03, ROC analysis revealed that high sensitivity and specificity cut-off points for normophonic vs. mild, mild vs. moderate and moderate vs. severe dysphonic are 2.50, 3.86 and 6.21 respectively. AVQI is a more effective technique than DSI for distinguishing between dysphonia severities levels, particularly when it comes to mild vs. moderate and moderate vs. severe, according to comparisons of AROC curves made using the DeLang method.