Abstract
To analyze the association between adherence to voice therapy and voice activity profile in patients with behavioral dysphonia and possible associated factors. The study included eighteen individuals with behavioral dysphonia who were on regular treatment at the institution Hearing and Speech Therapy Service. The participants of this study responded to the Voice Activity and Participation Profile Protocol (VAPP) and URICA-VOICE scale. The associated variables (number of sessions, age, type of behavioral dysphonia, gender and previous speech therapy) were collected through interviews with patients and analysis of their medical records. The data were submitted to inferential statistical analysis. Most patients were in the action stage. There was a statistically significant association between the aspect of the VAPP Effects on Emotion and stages of readiness for adherence to voice therapy, but other VAPP aspects were not associated with the URICA-VOICE scale. Regarding the associated variables, the number of sessions, age and type of behavioral dysphonia were associated with the adherence to voice therapy. There was a statistically significant difference between the type of behavioral dysphonia and VAPP scores. The aspect of VAPP Effects on Emotion and variables such as number of sessions, age and type of dysphonia were associated to the URICA-VOICE scale adherence stage. Individuals with organic dysphonia had greater impact of vocal disorders in their daily activities.
Highlights
The voice has individual characteristics comparable to a fingerprint and results from the interrelation of multifactorial aspects such as: genetics, anatomy, social environment and emotions
Regarding motivational stages of URICA VOICE scale, it was observed that 33.3% (n=6) of the patients is in contemplation period, 66.7% (n=12) in action and 0% in the stages of pre‐contemplation and maintenance
There was no statistical difference between the variables gender and previous speech therapy with Voice Activity and Participation Profile (VAPP)
Summary
The voice has individual characteristics comparable to a fingerprint and results from the interrelation of multifactorial aspects such as: genetics, anatomy, social environment and emotions. When there is a change in those characteristics that compromise and disharmonize oral communication, we have as a result an altered voice production and the emergence of some symptoms, such as, fatigue and loss of voice projection, phonation effort, instability of vocal quality, pain and burning during emission, low resistance and loss of voice efficiency, among others. This change in vocal production is called dysphonia[2]. The first two can still be categorized as behavioral, as they have as etiological factor vocal behavior, such as lack of vocal knowledge, poor vocal model and the maintenance of harmful habits to voice[3,4]
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