The Relationship between Cepstral Peak Prominence and Traditional Acoustic Measures with Self-Assessment Scales in Organic Voice Disorders.

Abstract

Introduction: Cepstral peak prominence (CPP) has emerged as a useful acoustic indicator in the evaluation of dysphonia; however, its relationship with self-reported voice outcomes in individuals with organic voice disorders remains unclear.

Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study investigated the associations between acoustic parameters - including jitter, shimmer, harmonic-to-noise ratio (HNR), and CPP - and patient-reported measures of voice handicap and vocal fatigue. Data from 51 adults diagnosed with organic voice disorders were analyzed using the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) and the Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI). Sustained/a/phonation and CAPE-V sentences were used to extract acoustic measures.

Results: After adjustment for multiple comparisons, significant positive correlations were found between VHI-10 scores and jitter and shimmer, while HNR showed a significant negative correlation. CPP derived from sustained/a/phonation demonstrated a moderate negative correlation with VHI-10, whereas CPP derived from connected speech showed no significant association. No significant relationships were observed between the acoustic measures and VFI total or subscale scores.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that CPP derived from sustained phonation may reflect certain aspects of perceived voice handicap but does not appear to capture the distinct and multidimensional experience of vocal fatigue in individuals with organic voice disorders. Cepstral, traditional acoustic, and patient-reported measures should therefore be interpreted as complementary components of multidimensional voice assessment.