Perceptual evaluation of pathological voice quality: a comparative analysis between the RASATI and GRBASI scales.

To provide mutual understanding between different evaluation scales for pathological voice quality, comparative analyses between the GRBASI and the RASATI systems were conducted. A total of 100 voice samples were rated by experienced Brazilian and Japanese listeners. Analysis by factor analysis with varimax rotation identified significant interrelations between the scales, with asthenia, instability, and roughness as the common factors. Grade-of-hoarseness, only included in GRBASI, corresponds to a combination of roughness, breathiness, and instability. Harshness, included only in RASATI, can be predicted by breathiness with strain in the GRBASI scale. Roughness is found to be the most consistent factor and the easiest to identify by evaluators with different linguistic background.