Vocal Capability Battery

The vocal capability battery is a variable set of vocal tasks that the clinician elicits from the patient in order to understand the individual’s vocal capabilities and vocal limitations. During the vocal capability battery, the clinician might assess average/anchor pitch, maximum range, ability to add loudness, sustained phonation (for stability), swelling checks of mucosal injury, maximum phonation time, and response to brief trial therapy.

Assessment of Vocal Phenomenology Protects from Visual Red Herrings

Swelling? (1 of 2)

The vocal cords of a physical education teacher with mild, intermittent ‘hoarseness’ and cracking of voice. Given her occupation, the mind goes to “voice abuse” and the margin swelling seen here might play into the diagnosis of “vocal overdoer with mucosal injury.” However, the vocal capability battery (voice testing) protects from a misdiagnosis.

Spasmodic dysphonia (2 of 2)

During the vocal capability testing (part 2 of the Integrative Diagnostic Model), one hears no significant mucosal swelling phenomenology (during application of vocal cord swelling checks), but instead a quivery, jittery instability. The actual diagnosis? Spasmodic dysphonia.

Diagnosing Voice Disorders – Integrative Diagnostic Model – Introduction Part 1

Human activities often unfold according to a model—an organized sequence of tools and steps. Baseball has a highly structured one that’s the same everywhere the game is played. By contrast, “dinner” can fulfill the same purpose (providing food) in highly variable ways: china or paper? Scratch cooking or carry-out?

In this video, Dr. Robert Bastian introduces the idea that, like “dinner,” diagnostic models for voice disorders vary widely between clinics.

Voice, Swallowing, Airway Disorder?

Still have questions? Schedule a call with Dr. Bastian via Zoom.

Book a Zoom Call