Purpose
to compare the vocal self-assessment and auditory-perceptual assessment of voice in women with thyroid disease.
Methods
the study was performed in 40 female patients, mean age of 49,50±10,40 years, using a visual-analogue scale (EAV) to perform the vocal self-assessment of voice and auditory-perceptual analysis by speech and language pathologist. The patient considered the usual emission of voice in its self-assessment and for the vocal analysis by speech and language pathologist voice samples was recorded with the patient emission of 1 to 20 counting. Descriptive analysis considered mean, median and standard deviation. It was used the Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests to compare means and the Spearman test to verify correlation between voice evaluations.The level of significance was 5%.
Results
19 (47.5%) patients reported complaints of dysphonia. Means and standard deviations of the VAS patient and the VAS speech therapist were 32.58 ± 27.99 and 37.23 ± 15.92, respectively, with no statistically significant difference. Patients with vocal complaint had worse scores on self-assessment when compared with those who did not complain. There was no statistically significant difference between these groups in terms of perceptual assessment. There was no statistically significant correlation between the perception that the individual has over her voice and speech therapist assessment.
Conclusion
there was no difference between means of vocal self-assessment and auditory-perceptual assessment by the speech and language pathologist; vocal self-assessment was worse in patients with vocal complaints; there was no correlation between evaluations.
Thyroid Gland; Voice; Voice Disorders; Self Assessment