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Updated: Jun 30, 2026

Minimally Invasive Murine Laryngoscopy for Close-Up Imaging of Laryngeal Motion During Breathing and Swallowing
Published on: December 1, 2023
Quality of life measures and predictors for adults with unilateral vocal cord paralysis
Tuan-Jen Fang1, Hsueh-Yu Li, Richard E Gliklich
1Department of Otolaryngology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan.
Objective/Hypothesis:
To investigate the quality of life (QoLF) status of Taiwanese adults with unilateral vocal cord paralysis (UVCP).
Study Design:
A prospective, QoLF survey in a tertiary referral voice center.
Methods:
Fifty-five consecutive UVCP patients were evaluated with Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36 (SF-36) Health Survey and the voice outcome survey at entry.
Results:
UVCP patients have significantly lower scores in all eight SF-36 subscales (P < .05) than do normative Taiwan adult population, particularly in role functioning-physical problems, social functioning, and role functioning-emotional problems. Shimmer parameter is a robust and consistent predictor for bodily pain (beta = -20.8), role functioning-emotional problems (beta = -27.9), and social functioning (beta = -20) general health dimensions. Shimmer is also predictive of UVCP-related total voice outcome survey score (beta = -8.6, P < .05).
Conclusions:
UVCP can seriously compromise phonation, swallowing, and social functions; thus significantly impacting a patient's general health status. Voice physiological function is also a QoLF outcome indicator.
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