ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Acoustic measurements Swapna Sebastian, Sonia Babu,

Neethu E. Oommen, Achamma Ballraj
of geriatric voice Department of ENT, Christian Medical College,
Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India

ABSTRACT

Background: Aging larynx can cause changes in the voice. Knowledge about the normal changes in
voice parameters is important in differentiating it from pathological voices. This study is a preliminary
investigation on the age related changes in the parameters of voice in geriatric normal subjects, which
has been scarcely reported in the Indian literature. Materials and Methods: Our study focused on the
changing acoustic parameters of voice due to aging in normal geriatric subjects. The acoustic parameters
of males and females with normal voice between the age groups of 60 to 80 were studied. 20 subjects in
each category (male and female) were included in the study. All the subjects were taken after clearance
from ENT to rule out any vocal pathology. The parameters taken were fundamental frequency, formants Access this article online
(f1, f2), jitter and shimmer. Results and Discussion: Our study shows that there are not any significant Website:
changes in the acoustic parameters either in males or in females across the age of 60 years to 80 years. www.laryngologyandvoice.org

However when compared to adult norms (18-25 yrs) the acoustic values are showing a difference both DOI: 10.4103/2230-9748.106984
in males as well as in females in fundamental frequency. Comparison was also done between males Quick Response Code:
and females between the age group of 60 to 80 years. Males differed from females significantly for the
parameters of fundamental frequency and formant frequencies (f1 and f2 ) only and not for the parameters
of jitter and shimmer.

Key words: Acoustic parameters, aging larynx in normal population, geriatric voice measurements

INTRODUCTION The larynx also undergoes age-related anatomic changes

As the life span of human beings has increased, the quality of
life of the elderly has also become a concern. Like any other
part of the body, larynx also undergoes changes due to aging.
Due to anatomical and physiological changes; voice can also
undergo changes as age increases.
Voice is produced by the interactive function of Respiratory,
Laryngeal and Resonatory System. Age related structural
changes to these systems will in-turn change the voice
parameters. The respiratory system provides the aerodynamic
force (i.e., sub glottal pressure) needed to set the vocal folds
into vibration and initiate phonation. Due to aging there
can be loss of elasticity of the lung tissue, weakening of
respiratory muscles and stiffening of the thorax which will
alter the lung volumes,[1] this in turn can affect the phonation.
like ossification and calcification of laryngeal cartilages,[2-6]
atrophy and degeneration of intrinsic muscles, deterioration
of cricoarytenoid (CA) joint, degeneration of glands in the
laryngeal mucosa, degenerative changes in the lamina
propria, and degenerative changes in conus elasticus.
These may affect vocal fold approximation, or reducing the
smoothness of vocal fold adjustments during phonation.
Glandular changes,[7] may cause drying of epithelium, which
may increase stiffness of VC cover. Increased cover stiffness
could increase instability of vocal fold vibration and raise
fundamental frequency (F0) in elderly men.[1]
Aging can affect the head and neck muscles, including
the extrinsic laryngeal muscles which control the vertical
positioning of the larynx like the sternocleidomastoid and
trapezius muscles. This can results in a permanent descent
of the larynx.[8]

Address for correspondence:

Dr. Swapna Sebastian, Department of ENT, Christian Medical
Hormonal Changes can also cause changes in the voice. In
College, Vellore, Tamilnadu, India. females after menopause there is cessation of progesterone,
E-mail: swapna_santhosh@yahoo.co.in a reduction in estrogens, and the appearance of androgen.[9]

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 Sebastian, et al.: Geriatric voice measurements

These hormonal changes alter the physical characteristics voice parameters of fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer
of the vocal folds and consequently affect phonation.[9-11] and the first and second formants across the age groups of
Reduced estrogens and increased androgens are responsible male subjects (significance level is 0.05). Similar findings
for an increase in vocal fold mass (i.e., they become were found across the age groups of female subjects also
oedematous), and the lowering of vocal pitch,[6] acoustic and as shown in Table 2 (significance level is 0.05). The acoustic
physiological measurement of the voice yield information values obtained for the geriatric subjects in the present
regarding subtle changes in the voicing mechanism. This study were compared with existing adult norms for females
study provided preliminary normative acoustic data of voice between the age range of 18-25 yrs for female subjects in
for the elderly, which has been scarcely reported in the Indian Table 3 and for male subjects in Table 4. There is a difference
literature.
Table 1: Showing the results of Independent samples
MATERIALS AND METHODS Kruskal-Wallis test to find the difference in distribution
across the age groups of male subjects for the different
The objectives of this study were to find out the age related acoustic parameters of voice (significance level is 0.05)
changes in the parameters of voice in geriatric normal Parameters Group Mean Standard P value
subjects. deviation
F0 60-64 140.42 25.61 0.829
Participants 65-69 140.03 22.27
70-74 144.82 23.85
Twenty elderly men (between the age ranges of 60-80 years) 75-79 136.30 22.88
and twenty elderly women (between the age ranges of Jitter (%) 60-64 0.72 0.52 0.478
65-69 0.50 0.20
60-80 years) participated in the study. They were divided 70-74 0.90 0.49
into 4 age groups (60-64 years, 65-69 years, 70-74 years, 75-79 0.86 0.42
and 75-79 years) with 5 subjects in each group. All the F1 60-64 779.588 68.8 0.754
65-69 747.50 45.54
subjects were taken after clearance from ENT to rule out 70-74 796.78 31.94
any vocal pathology and were free of perceived speech or 75-79 797.01 168.22
F2 60-64 1245.69 59.71 0.132
voice disorders. All participants were in good health, were 65-69 1134.12 43.01
free of neurological diseases, and were nonsmokers. Voice 70-74 1153.19 140.53
75-79 1207.18 88.65
samples were elicited by asking each participant to produce 60-64 2.4 0.8
Shimmer 0.52
sustained phonations of the /a/ sound at his or her habitual 65-69 2.0 0.6
levels of pitch and loudness lasting longer than 3 seconds. 70-74 2.6 1.2
75-79 2.5 0.5
All acoustic analyses were conducted using PRAAT software
(version 5.1.04).
Table 2: Showing the results of Independent samples
The acoustic parameters that were taken up for the study Kruskal-Wallis test to find the difference in distribution
were as follows: across the age groups of female subjects for the different
1. Fundamental frequency (F0)-is the rate of vibration of acoustic parameters of voice (significance level is 0.05)
the vocal folds. Parameters Group Mean SD P value
2. Jitter-is an acoustic measurement of how much a given F0 60-64 189.59 13.90 0.667
period differs from the period that immediately follows it. 65-69 177.4 20.36
70-74 194.49 48.75
3. Shimmer- is the cycle to cycle variation in amplitude. 75-79 188.44 22.42
4. Formants are the spectral peaks of the sound spectrum Jitter 60-64 0.70 0.25 0.183
65-69 0.40 0.11
or an acoustic resonance of the human vocal tract. The 70-74 0.44 0.23
formant with the lowest frequency is called f1, the 75-79 0.55 0.17
second f2. F1 60-64 801.08 31.0 0.395
65-69 831.35 32.65
70-74 874.14 10.4
Independent samples Kruskal-Wallis test was done to find the 75-79 871.73 67.1
F2 60-64 1488.82 22.1 0.408
difference in the different acoustic parameters between the 65-69 1325.88 32.6
different age groups and also between males and females. 70-74 1445.49 62.0
75-79 1480.94 66.98
Shimmer 60-64 2.1 0.7 0.566
RESULTS 65-69 2.3 0.9
70-74 2.8 1.3
75-79 2.6 0.9
Table 1 Shows that there is no significant difference in the

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 Sebastian, et al.: Geriatric voice measurements

both in geriatric males as well as in females compared to adult (at 0.5 level of significance). However when compared to
subjects in fundamental frequency. Comparison was also done norms for adults between the age range of 18-25 years for
between males and females between the age group of 60 to Indian population,[12] the values of these geriatric subjects is
80 years [Table 5]. Males differed from females significantly found to be higher for the male subjects and lower for the
for the parameters of fundamental frequency and formant female subjects. Tables 3 and 4. These results are in support
frequencies (f1 and f2) only and not for the parameters of of previous research in which F0 was found to decrease in
jitter and shimmer. women and increase in males with increase in age.[13-17] The
decrease in F0 for females may be a consequence of the
DISCUSSION increase in vocal fold mass due to hormonal changes that
occur during menopause,[9] for males, the opposite effect
In the present study we tried to find out the changes in the occurs, showing reduced vocal fold mass from aging-induced
voice parameters across the age of 60 years to 80 years. The atrophy of the internal thyroarytenoid,[17] and results in
subjects were grouped into four age groups with 5 years thinner vocal folds and a higher F0. However the study needs
of time interval i.e. (60-64,65-69,70-74,75-79) Examination to be extended to younger age groups to find out the age at
of the fundamental frequency (F0) data did not reveal any which the transition in the parameters take place.
significant changes either in males [Table 1] or in females
[Table 2] after the age of 60 years till the age of 80 years Formant frequencies are the frequency loci of clusters of
spectral energy representing the resonant frequencies of the
vocal tract. The first two formants (F1 and F2) are related
Table 3: Comparing the acoustic values obtained for to tongue location, including the height and frontness of
the geriatric subjects in the present study with existing the tongue while producing a vowel. The frequency of F1
adult norms for females between the age range of is inversely related to tongue height. For example, the high
18-25 yrs
vowel /i/ is associated with a lower F1 than the low vowel /a/.
Age range of 60-80 yrs Age range of 18-25 yrs The frequency of F2 is related to the “frontness” of the tongue
values values
position i.e. the further front (anterior) the tongue bulge,
Mean SD Mean SD the higher the F2 frequency. The frequency of F2 is further
F0 187.48 26.35 228.26 15.52 affected by the degree of lip rounding. Lip rounding extends
Jitter 0.5225 0.19 0.99 0.55
the length of the vocal tract and thus lowers the frequencies
of F2. A change in vocal tract length as the larynx is raised or
lowered, changes the dimensions of the resonating chamber
Table 4: Comparing the acoustic values obtained for the
and effectively changes its resonating frequencies. When
geriatric subjects in the present study with existing adult
the larynx is raised or lowered, it shortens or lengthens the
norms for males between the age range of 18-25 yrs
vocal tract and results in raising or lowering of the formants
Parameters Age range of 60-80 yrs Age range of 18-25 yrs
values values
respectively,[18] western literature shows that the formants
tend to lower in the elderly,[17-22] in the current study we
Mean SD Mean SD
found that there were no significant changes in the formant
F0 140.28 23.65 131.62 12
Jitter 0.745 0.40 0.73 0.35 frequencies after the age of 60 years [Tables 1 and 2]. Further
investigation extending the study to lower age groups need
to be done to substantiate the changes in formants in the
Table 5: Showing the results of Independent samples Indian population.
Kruskal-Wallis test to find the difference in distribution
between male and female subjects of 60 to 80 years We could not find any significant changes in the jitter
of age for the different acoustic parameters of voice values across the age of 60 to 80 in both males and females
(significance level is 0.05) [Tables 1 and 2]. There are differing opinions regarding the
Parameters Age range of Age range of Sig effectiveness of % jitter as a reliable indicator of age. In some
60-80 yrs 60-80 yrs studies, no significant age-induced differences were found,[23]
(Males) Values (Females) Values
while other studies reported significant differences for % jitter
Mean SD Mean SD between younger and older participants,[24,25] these conflicting
F0 140.28 23.65 187.48 12 0.000 results raise the question of the usefulness of % jitter as a
F1 797.01 35.01 861.37 45.2 0.001
F2 1185.05 72.42 1498.68 46.21 0.00 reliable indicator of aging-induced changes to the voice.
Jitter 0.745 0.40 0.73 0.35 0.36
Shimmer 2.566 0.21 2.81 0.23 0.177
Comparison was also done between males and females

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 Sebastian, et al.: Geriatric voice measurements
between the age group of 60 to 80 years. Males differed
from females significantly for the parameters of fundamental
frequency and formant frequencies (f1 and f2) only and not
for the parameters of jitter and shimmer [Table 5]. This
investigation can contribute to forensic medicine to create
an awareness regarding the possible changes in the voice
with age since there is probably a long delay between ‘crime’
and ‘suspect’ recordings.
CONCLUSION
Our study shows that there are not any significant changes in
the acoustic parameters either in males or in females across
the age of 60 years to 80 years. (at 0.5 level of significance).
However when compared to adult norms (between the age of
18 to 25 years) the acoustic values are showing a difference
both in males as well as in females in terms of fundamental
frequency. This suggests that the aging effect on voice starts
even before the age of 60 years. At what age these acoustic
parameters of voice starts changing is a subject of further
research by extending the study to with subjects of lower
age ranges or preferably a longitudinal study
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Cite this article as: Sebastian S, Babu S, Oommen NE, Ballraj
A. Acoustic measurements of geriatric voice. J Laryngol Voice
2012;2:81-4.
Source of Support: Nil, Conflicting Interest: No.
Journal of Laryngology and Voice | July-December 2012 | Vol 2 | Issue 2
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