Establishing validity of the Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-V).
OBJECTIVE
The Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-V) was developed to provide a protocol and form for clinicians to use when assessing the voice quality of adults with voice disorders (Kempster, Gerratt, Verdolini Abbott, Barkmeier-Kramer, & Hillman, 2009). This study examined the reliability and the empirical validity of the CAPE-V when used by experienced voice clinicians judging normal and disordered voices.


METHODS
The validity of the CAPE-V was examined in 2 ways. First, we compared judgments made by 21 raters of 22 normal and 37 disordered voices using the CAPE-V and the GRBAS (grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, strain; see Hirano, 1981) scales. Second, we compared our raters' judgments of overall severity to a priori consensus judgments of severity for the 59 voices.


RESULTS
Intrarater reliability coefficients for the CAPE-V ranged from .82 for breathiness to .35 for strain; interrater reliability ranged from .76 for overall severity to .28 for pitch.


CONCLUSIONS
Although both CAPE-V and GRBAS reliability coefficients varied across raters and parameters, this study reports slightly improved rater reliability using the CAPE-V to make perceptual judgments of voice quality in comparison to the GRBAS scale. The results provide evidence for the empirical (concurrent) validity of the CAPE-V.
Zraick
Richard I
RI
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Mail Slot 772, 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA. zraickrichardi@uams.edu
Kempster
Gail B
GB
Connor
Nadine P
NP
Thibeault
Susan
S
Klaben
Bernice K
BK
Bursac
Zoran
Z
Thrush
Carol R
CR
Glaze
Leslie E
LE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D032921:Consensus; D055154:Dysphonia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013068:Speech Production Measurement / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014833:Voice Quality; D055815:Young Adult