Not just sound II: an Investigation of Singer Patient Self-perceptions Mapped into the Voice Range Profile.

Purpose: As part of a project aiming at higher specificity in clinical evaluations of the singing voice, singer perceptions were included and tested in conjunction with the voice
range profile. Method: With a singer-patient group, the use of a commercial phonetograph supplemented by a hand-held response button was tested in a non-randomized study design. Button pressing during phonation resulted in marking specific regions of the voice range profile. 13 subjects, all singers with particular voice complaints, participated in enhanced voice range profile recordings. Singer-patients were asked to press a button to indicate sensations of vocal discomfort or instability during phonation. Each press was registered at the actual position in the voice range profile (VRP) so as to mark areas of difficulty. Data analysis was performed according to a method developed specifically for this use. Results: Subjects used the button during the course of tasking but did not demonstrate an increased button use when compared to a healthy group. Furthermore, numbers of button press repetitions within one task were often lower than those observed for the healthy group. The singer-patient group however demonstrated consistent behavior and tended to press the button in complete different areas of the VRP space. The location of the presses was dominantly in the interior of the VRP and concentrated within one specific range of the voice. Conclusion: The contribution of the button-VRP to clinical assessment of voice status in singers could represent a well needed resource for the clinicians but begs further development and work.