Association between Noise Meter and Specialized Software Application for Smartphones in the Measurement of Vocal Intensity

Introduction: The constant advancement and improvement of technology allow, through the use of smartphones, the access to applications. For the purpose of measuring intensity, such applications are made available to the general public, often with free and unrestricted access. These may perform the measurement function more easily than an inaccessible device. Also available are traditional measurement tools, such as sound-level meter and acoustic analysis programs for speech and voice.

Objectives: This study aims to examine the feasibility of using the clinical routine of a smartphone app for the measurement of vocal intensity.

Methods: The sample consisted of 34 subjects without symptoms of speech and voice, who underwent multidimensional assessment which included a review videonasoendoscopy, record speaks through sound-level meter app, and acoustic analysis of phonation in three different intensities: strong, usual, and weak, for plosive and fricative phrases.

Results: According to the results, the decibel meter and the application showed significant differences when compared to plosive and fricative phrases, except when the usual phrase plosive and weak conditions, where both measurements showed an average of 70 Hz and 69 Hz. Same apparatus when compared with the specialized software for voice analysis, no statistically significant difference in all intensities of sentences analyzed.

Conclusion: The findings of this study regarding the feasibility of the application for voice measurement were not statistically significant for the research sample.