Acoustic and Aerodynamic Characteristics of Presbyphonia

Secundino Fernández, David Ruba , Carlos Gimeno

INTRODUCTION: Older patients are frequently seen by the otolaryngologist for the voice complaints including hoarseness, effortful voicing and voice fatigue. What is presbyphonia?. Dysphonia in the old patient is the same that dysphonia of the old patient?
METHODS AND PROCEDURE: We have studied 54 people, 30 men and 24 women aged more than 70 years old for acoustical, aerodynamic and laryngoscopic characteristics. Our objective was to charactericed what is normal aging voice and abnormal aging voice.
TASKS: During each task the subject held the pneumotachograph mask firmly in place over the nose and mouth with the pressure tube passing between the lips. Sustained phonation: /a/, /i/, Syllables: /pa/ /pi/, Sentences
DATA COLLECTION: Four signals (Intraoral-subglottic pressure, transglotal flow, sound pressure, electroglottograph) were digitized by a A/D converted board.
The digitized signal was imported to the Alamed Voice Plus analysis system on a PC. Acoustic signal was also digitized and imported to the SoundScope analysis system. Intensity was evaluated with a sonometer.
RESULTS: The physical examination reveal frequent glottal incompetence, impaired arytenoid adduction, vocal fold bowing, incomplete glottic closure and excessive ventricular fold activity, Functional studies reveal an impaired maximum phonation time, normal levels of translaryngeal), increased intraoral pressure in men and decreased contact index. Acoustical studies reveal a fundamental frequency increased in men and decreased in women , abnormal maximum phonation time, frequent vocal tremor, normal maximum intensity, a very important reduction in running speech intensity, and frequent subharmonics. Intensity variability and fluctuation were also very frequent .

Secundino Fernández , David Ruba , Carlos Gimeno
Department of Otolarynglogy. School of Medicine. University Hospital. University of Navarra. Apdo. 4209. 31080Pamplona. SPAIN.
Phone: +34948255400 ext.4681 FAX: +34948296634
sfgonzalez@unav.es