Auditory-perceptual evaluation of the overall severity of vocal deviation by comparing the visual analog and numerical scales

ABSTRACT Purpose: to analyze the cutoff points, sensitivity, and specificity of the correspondence between the visual analog and numerical scales in assessing the overall severity of vocal deviation with linked speech tasks. Methods: 105 voices were selected for the linked speech task. Six speech-language-hearing pathologists evaluated the samples regarding the overall severity of deviation, using the visual analog and numerical scales, with a 2-day interval between them. The study defined cutoff values based on sensitivity and specificity, used the intraclass correlation coefficient, kappa coefficient, Spearman’s coefficient, analysis of variance, and analysis of sensitivity and specificity, and set the significance level at 5%. Results: the cutoff values were defined as absent deviation - up to 27 mm, mild - from 27.1 to 50.5 mm, moderate - from 50.6 to 68.5 mm, and intense deviation - 68.6 to 100 mm. The following values were found regarding performance, sensitivity, and specificity, respectively: absent deviation - 0.74, 0.94, and 0.86; mild - 0.57, 0.92, and 0.85; moderate - 0.68, 0.93, and 0.89; intense - 0.95, 0.95, and 0.95. Conclusion: the numerical scale adequately identified the cutoff points of the overall severity of vocal deviation on the visual analog scale, during the linked speech task.