Vocal fold vibration and voice quality in the elderly

Abstract

The vocal fold vibration patterns of incomplete glottal closure, aperiodicity, and asymmetry are characteristic of older adults with normal voice quality. Given that these patterns are also reported in older adults with voice concerns (i.e., age-related dysphonia, presbylarygis, or presbyphonia), the question of whether they relate to voice quality becomes relevant to providers making evaluation and management decisions. METHOD: Thirty-eight adults aged 70 years and older underwent laryngeal high-speed video examination at 4000 frames per second. Analysis included measurements of the glottal closure over time (i.e., open quotient, relative glottal gap), spectral noise (i.e., harmonics-to-deterministic-noise ratio, harmonics-to-noise ratio), and symmetry (i.e., amplitude symmetry, phase symmetry). Multiple regression will be used to compare the high-speed measures to cepstral peak prominence of the acoustic signal and perceived voice quality. Results will be interpreted in terms of how glottal closure and vibratory periodicity and symmetry affect voice quality in elderly speakers. Implications for clinical management will be discussed.