VoiceScreen app
About
Voice disorders (hoarseness) are rather common among the general population. The causes of
hoarseness can be related to common respiratory diseases and/or to vocal fatigue caused by
vocal overload, however it can also be related to functional, behavioral, neurologic factors
and both benign and malignant laryngeal tumors. Hoarseness can also be an early symptom of
laryngeal cancer.
VoiceScreen app performs an automatic analysis of the voice signal using the recordings of a
sustained vowel [a:] sound and speech. Based on the analysis of the voice, the application
combines six different voice function parameters and presents Acoustic Voice Quality Index
(AVQI). This index measures possible voice changes and differentiates normal and
pathological voices.
The VoiceScreen app can be freely downloaded from the App Store. Currently, this app is
available in 13 languages and is suitable for iOS-based devices – iPhones, tablets etc.
VoiceScreen. on the App Store (apple.com)
Purpose
The main purpose of the VoiceScreen App is to screen if the voice is normal or pathological
and motivate the individual to visit the otolaryngologist when it is necessary, thus increasing
early diagnostics of laryngeal diseases including laryngeal carcinoma. The VoiceScreen app
also provides the user with recommendations based on the test results. The provided
recommendations should be taken as guidance on what to do next to help user’s voice.
The VoiceScreen app can be also suitable for patients selection for phonosurgery and
monitoring of phonosurgery results, monitoring of voice professionals etc.
Automated acoustic analysis-based voice screening tool (VoiceScreen app) could serve as one
of potential approaches helping primary care physicians and other public health care services
to identify the patients who require early otolaryngological referral.
The VoiceScreen app is developed by researchers of Lithuanian University of Health
Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania and is based on their many years of clinical and scientific
experience.
The VoiceScreen app can be freely downloaded from the App Store. Currently, this app is
available in 13 languages and is suitable for iOS-based devices – iPhones, tablets etc.
Caution
The VoiceScreen app is not a medical device or diagnostics tool. The smart phone-based automatic
voice analysis and screening procedure is not considered as a substitute for clinical examination.
Contrary, it is seen to have a potential role in screening to provide early identification of voice-
disordered subjects who should undergo further specialized diagnostic procedures, and therefore for
subsequent referral of selected individuals for earlier otolaryngological examination and visualization
of the larynx (video laryngostroboscopy, indirect/direct microlaryngoscopy) thus improving
diagnostics of laryngeal diseases.
References
1. Uloza V, Petrauskas T, Padervinskis E, Ulozaite N., Barsties B., Maryn Y. Validation of the Acoustic Voice
Quality Index in the Lithuanian language. J Voice. 2017;31:257.e1–257.e11.
2. Uloza V, Latoszek BBV, Ulozaite-Staniene N, Petrauskas T, Maryn Y. A comparison of Dysphonia Severity
Index and Acoustic Voice Quality Index measures in differentiating normal and dysphonic voices. Eur Arch
Otorhinolaryngol. 2018 Apr;275(4):949-958.
3. Barsties v Latoszek B, Ulozaitė-Stanienė N, Maryn Y, Petrauskas T, Uloza V. The Influence of Gender and
Age on the Acoustic Voice Quality Index and Dysphonia Severity Index: A Normative Study. J Voice. 2019
May;33(3):340-345.
4. Barsties V Latoszek B, Ulozaitė-Stanienė N, Petrauskas T, Uloza V, Maryn Y. Diagnostic Accuracy of
Dysphonia Classification of DSI and AVQI. Laryngoscope. 2019 Mar;129(3):692-698.
5. Ulozaite-Staniene N, Petrauskas T, Šaferis V, Uloza V. Exploring the feasibility of the combination of
acoustic voice quality index and glottal function index for voice pathology screening. Eur Arch
Otorhinolaryngol. 2019 Jun;276(6):1737-1745.
6. Uloza V, Ulozaitė-Stanienė N, Petrauskas T, Kregždytė R. Accuracy of Acoustic Voice Quality Index
Captured with a Smartphone – Measurements with Added Ambient Noise. J Voice. 2021 Mar 3:S0892-
1997(21)00073-4.
7. Uloza V, Ulozaite-Staniene N, Petrauskas T. An iOS-based VoiceScreen application: feasibility for use in
clinical settings-a pilot study. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2022 Jul 29. doi: 10.1007/s00405-022-07546-w. Epub
ahead of print. PMID: 35906420.
