[Auditory-perceptive, acoustic and vocal self-perception analyses in children].

PURPOSE: To establish the occurrence of dysphonic children and to relate data from auditory-perceptive, acoustic and vocal self-perception analyses of dysphonic and non-dysphonic children.

METHODS

Participants were 70 children, 37 female and 33 male, with ages ranging from 6 to 10 years. The sustained emission of the vowel /a/ was recorded, and children replied to the question "What do you think of your voice?".After that, the auditory-perceptive analysis of their voices was carried out, based on the parameters of the GRBASI scale. The acoustic analysis was also conducted, considering the following measures: fundamental frequency, frequency and amplitude perturbation quotient, and harmonic-to-noise ratio. The self-perception analysis of the subjects' voices was based on content analysis. Data were statistically analyzed.

RESULTS

The occurrence of dysphonic children was 37.14%. Breathiness was the most common vocal quality among dysphonic children, followed by roughness, which was also common. The acoustic measures frequency and amplitude perturbation quotient and harmonic-to-noise ration were higher among dysphonic children. However, these measures were similar between children that had positive self-perception and those with negative self-perception. Negative self-perception was more frequent among dysphonic children.

CONCLUSION

The occurrence of dysphonia in the studied group was 37.14%. Dysphonic children present negative self-perception of their voices, voice quality predominantly rough and/or breathy, and altered acoustic measures, when compared to non-dysphonic children.