Algorithm Verification and Concurrent Validity of a Web-Based Platform for Multiparametric Acoustic Voice Quality...

Area of Science:

• Speech and Hearing Sciences
• Acoustic Analysis
• Voice Disorders Research

Background:

• Established acoustic voice quality indices (AVQI, ABI, CSID, CPPS) are crucial for voice disorder assessment.
• Concurrent validity with perceptual ratings is essential for clinical and research applications.
• Accessibility of validated acoustic analysis tools can broaden research participation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate multiparametric acoustic voice quality indices (AVQI, ABI, CSID, CPPS) on a free, web-based platform (PhonaLab).
• To assess the concurrent validity of these indices with expert perceptual ratings.
• To determine the feasibility of delivering research-validated acoustic analysis through browser-based platforms.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional validation study utilized voice samples from 290 speakers.
• PhonaLab, a web-based platform, analyzed sustained vowels and connected speech using Parselmouth.
• Agreement with desktop Praat and correlations with CAPE-V and GRBAS perceptual ratings were calculated.

Main Results:

• PhonaLab demonstrated strong to excellent agreement with desktop Praat (r ≥ 0.96, ICC ≥ 0.94).
• Acoustic indices showed significant correlations with perceptual ratings (e.g., AVQI with CAPE-V Overall Severity, r_s = 0.73).
• The acoustic breathiness index (ABI) significantly outperformed single parameters for breathiness detection (P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

• Validated multiparametric acoustic indices retain concurrent validity on the PhonaLab web-based platform.
• This supports the feasibility of using accessible, browser-based platforms for research-validated acoustic voice analysis.
• Web-based acoustic analysis offers a promising avenue for broader application in voice research and potentially clinical settings.