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Instability of voice in adolescence: pathologic condition or normal developmental variation?
I H Boltezar1, Z R Burger, M Zargi
1University Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
The Journal of Pediatrics
|February 1, 1997
Summary
Adolescent voices, particularly males, show significant pitch and loudness instability, which is a normal developmental characteristic. No single voice analysis variable can differentiate typical development from voice disorders in youth.
Area of Science:
- Otorhinolaryngology
- Speech-Language Pathology
- Pediatric Voice Disorders
Background:
- Adolescent dysphonia often requires specialist evaluation for hoarseness.
- Understanding voice characteristics is crucial for differentiating developmental variations from pathology.
Purpose of the Study:
- Identify key characteristics of adolescent voice.
- Determine which voice analysis variables distinguish normal development from pathological voice disorders.
Main Methods:
- Studied 51 adolescents (ages 10-17) divided into four groups: healthy, mutational voice disorders, functional dysphonia, and vocal cord nodules.
- Utilized Multi-Dimensional Voice Program (MDVP) for acoustic analysis (fundamental frequency, pitch/amplitude variability, noise).
- Performed laryngoscopy and stroboscopy for clinical assessment.
Main Results:
- Adolescent voices, especially in boys, exhibited abnormal pitch and amplitude variability.
- Pitch and loudness variability were abnormal in most subjects, with greater abnormality in boys.
- No single acoustic variable reliably distinguished healthy voices from those with disorders.
Conclusions:
- Adolescent voice is characterized by pitch and amplitude instability, more pronounced in males.
- Current voice analysis variables cannot differentiate normal development from pathological conditions.
- Adolescence is a critical period for treating functional voice disorders due to developing vocal mechanisms.