CAPE-V Summary

PURPOSE AND APPLICATIONS

  • CAPE-V developed for clinical auditory-perceptual assessment of voice.

  • Primary purpose: describe severity of voice problems for communication among clinicians.

  • Secondary purpose: support hypotheses on anatomical/physiological bases of voice issues; assess need for further testing.

  • Not a standalone diagnostic tool; intended to complement other vocal function tests.

ORIGIN

  • Developed during ASHA-sponsored meeting (June 2002, University of Pittsburgh).

  • Consensus among SLPs and experts in perception aimed to standardize guidelines for voice evaluation.

  • Focus on practicality and brevity.

  • Goal: create a reliable tool for voice quality measurement.

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

  • Key attributes for clinical evaluation:

    • Minimal set of clinically meaningful parameters.

    • Quick and efficient procedures/interpretation.

    • Applicability across various vocal pathologies/clinical settings.

    • Reliability in ratings across clinicians.

    • Availability of training exemplars.

DESCRIPTION AND INSTRUCTIONS

General Description of the Tool

  • Attributes evaluated:

    • Overall Severity

    • Roughness

    • Breathiness

    • Strain

    • Pitch

    • Loudness

  • Each parameter rated on 100 mm visual analog scale (VAS).

  • Regions indicate severity: "MI" (mild), "MO" (moderate), "SE" (severe).

Definitions of Vocal Attributes

  • Overall Severity: Integrated impression of voice deviance.

  • Roughness: Irregularity in voicing source.

  • Breathiness: Audible air escape.

  • Strain: Excessive vocal effort.

  • Pitch: Deviation from typical fundamental frequency.

  • Loudness: Deviation in sound intensity.

DATA COLLECTION

  • Comfortable seating in a quiet environment.

  • Record performances: vowels, sentences, and conversational speech using standard setup.

Tasks

  • Task 1: Sustained Vowels

    • Use /a/ (lax) and /i/ (tense).

  • Task 2: Sentences

    • Example sentences designed to elicit different vocal behaviors.

  • Task 3: Running Speech

    • Natural conversational speech for at least 20 seconds.

DATA SCORING

  • Perform all tasks before completing CAPE-V form.

  • Rate performance across tasks separately if needed.

  • Use tick marks for each vocal task and label discrepancies.

Scoring Method

  • Measure distance in mm for severity rating; report findings descriptively and quantitatively.

  • Recommended to compare with previous ratings for consistency.

CAUTIONS

  • Reliability of rating scales varies widely; ongoing validation of CAPE-V in multicenter trials is underway.

  • Future editions may include anchor recordings and training modules.