Usefulness of Direct Magnitude Estimation (DME) in Auditory Perceptual Assessments Measuring Dysphonia Severity

Abstract

Objectives

The purposes of this study were (1) to analyze the reliability of direct magnitude estimation (DME) scales in auditory perceptual assessments measuring dysphonia severity and (2) to analyze the usefulness of DME scales in comparison to that of equal-appearing interval (EAI) scales.

Study Design

Three speech language pathologists perceptually evaluated dysphonia severity from connected speech samples produced by 105 participants with dysphonia. Two auditory perceptual assessments using two scales (DME and EAI) were performed for 2 weeks. The reliabilities of auditory perceptual assessments were analyzed, and correlation analysis was performed to analyze the relationship between the two scales.

Results

DME and EAI were found to have high reliability for auditory perceptual assessments measuring voice severity. There was a significant curvilinear relationship between EAI and DME. This indicates that a prosthetic continuum represents the dysphonia severity and suggests that DME scales should be used to measure dysphonia severity to avoid the linear partitioning related to EAI scales.

Conclusions

Our study supports the use of DME scales when judging the overall voice severity of dysphonic patients.