title: Characteristics of voice and personality of patients with vocal fold immobility.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the voice and personality characteristics of patients diagnosed with organic dysphonia secondary to vocal fold immobility.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study comprised patients of both genders, attending the Clinic School of Speech Therapy of the Federal University of Paraíba, with otorhinolaryngological diagnosis of vocal fold immobility and speech therapy diagnosis of dysphonia. The self-assessment of voice was measured through a Vocal Screening Protocol and Voice Symptoms Scale (VoiSS), the voice was collected for auditory-perceptive evaluation, and the Factorial Personality Battery (FPB) was used. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed to determine the frequency, mean, and standard deviation of the studied variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight patients participated in the study, of both genders, with average age of 40.4 ± 16.9 years. The more frequent risk factors were the personal ones (4.7 ± 2.1). In the VoiSS, the patients presented a higher average in the limitation score (34.1 ± 15.7). From the auditory-perceptive evaluation, moderate intensity of vocal deviation was obtained, with predominant vocal roughness (57.7 ± 25.2). In the FPB, the patients had an average higher than the cutoff scores in neuroticism (3.8 ± 1.4) and accomplishment (5.2 ± 1.0).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The predominant vocal parameter was roughness. The patients referred to a few risk factors that compromise the vocal behavior and presented the neuroticism and realization factors as a highlight in their personality. Thus, individuals with vocal fold immobility show personality characteristics that may be a reflection of their voice disorder, not a factor that determines their dysphonia.
authors.affiliation: Center of Health Sciences, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Anna Alice Figueirêdo de
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.affiliation: Center of Health Sciences, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luana Ramos
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.affiliation: Center of Health Sciences, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Elma Heitmann Mares
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Azevedo
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Renata Serrano de Andrade
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
authors.affiliation: Center of Health Sciences, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Leonardo Wanderley
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Lopes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001307:Auditory Perception; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D055154:Dysphonia / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D012307:Risk Factors; D014826:Vocal Cord Paralysis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D014833:Voice Quality; D055815:Young Adult