.png)
Background: The aim of this study is to examine the correlation between self-rated talkativeness and self-rated vocal loudness and to assess significant differences in individual patient-reported and objective voice characteristics for patients with low, normal, and high self-rated talkativeness.
Methods: For this study, the voice clinic prospectively collected data from September 2019 to November 2021 from patients with mucosal and muscle tension disorders on one end and muscle deconditioning disorders on the other end, as these are voice pathologies in which self-rated talkativeness and self-rated vocal loudness are suspected to play a role. In this study, 221 patients were included. The dataset contained patient responses on self-rating scales of talkativeness and vocal loudness and both individual patient-reported and objective voice characteristics determined by the medical staff. The scores of the self-rating scales of talkativeness and vocal loudness were compared. Subsequently, the self-rated score of talkativeness was plotted against the individual patient-reported and objective voice characteristics. Patient demographics were used as an overlay to seek additional insight.
Results: First, a significant positive correlation between the self-rating score of talkativeness and the self-rating score of vocal loudness was observed. Secondly, the only voice characteristic that was significantly higher with increasing self-rated talkativeness was the voice handicap index. No statistically significant difference was seen for all other parameters.
Conclusion: Assessing talkativeness by a self-rating scale can help create a profile of patients in a voice clinic. The high degree of self-rated talkativeness correlates well with increased loudness of speech. The patient-reported perception of voice complaints measured by the voice handicap index is significantly higher in patients with high self-rated talkativeness. The other individual patient-reported and objective voice characteristics do not differ significantly for patients with normal to high self-reported talkativeness.
Cite this article as: Verhoeven E, Everaert J, Rathé M, Coppens A, Delsupehe K. Correlation between talkativeness, vocal loudness, and the voice handicap index. B-ENT. 2024;20(4):213-219.