Vocal Loading and Environmental Humidity Effects in Older Adults

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Speech and Hearing Science
• Environmental Health

Background:

• The aging voice may be susceptible to vocal loading challenges.
• Prolonged speaking in noisy environments can impact vocal function.
• Environmental factors like humidity may influence vocal health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of a specific vocal loading challenge on older adults.
• To determine if increased environmental humidity mitigates negative vocal effects in this population.

Main Methods:

• Thirteen healthy older adults (>65 years) underwent a 45-minute vocal loading challenge.
• The challenge involved child-directed speech in 65 dB multitalker babble noise.
• Vocal function was assessed pre- and post-challenge under low and moderate humidity conditions using measures like PTP, CPP, PPE, and perceived vocal tiredness.

Main Results:

• The vocal loading challenge negatively impacted the aging larynx, significantly affecting phonation threshold pressure (PTP), perceived phonatory effort (PPE), and perceived vocal tiredness.
• Increased ambient humidity significantly reduced negative changes in PPE and perceived vocal tiredness.
• Higher humidity also led to significant improvements in cepstral peak prominence (CPP) both before and after the vocal challenge.

Conclusions:

• The aging voice is negatively affected by prolonged speaking in noisy conditions.
• Humidification appears to be a beneficial intervention for mitigating some adverse vocal effects in older adults.
• This study enhances understanding of vocal loading impacts and potential protective strategies for the aging voice.