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The ageing voice: changes in fundamental frequency, waveform stability and spectrum
1Department of Logopedics and Audiology, U.Z. St. Rafaël, KUL, Leuven, Belgium.
Acta Oto-Rhino-Laryngologica Belgica
|January 1, 1997
Summary
Aging voices show increased instability and variability in pitch range. Acoustic analysis reveals age-related vocal changes in men and women over 60, impacting voice quality.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Acoustic phonetics
- Speech science
Background:
- Vocal aging is a complex process affecting voice quality.
- Understanding age-related acoustic changes is crucial for diagnostics and interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-dependent acoustic alterations in the human voice.
- To compare vocal characteristics across different age groups in adults.
Main Methods:
- Acoustic analysis of voice recordings from 205 individuals aged 60-99 years.
- Comparison with a control group of 60 younger adults.
- Evaluation of voice pitch, range, variability, jitter, shimmer, harmonics-to-noise ratio, and spectral characteristics.
Main Results:
- Voice pitch converged between sexes with age, while range and variability increased.
- Increased jitter, shimmer, and decreased harmonics-to-noise ratio indicated growing voice instability.
- Significant spectral differences were observed between young and elderly women regarding harmonic ratios.
Conclusions:
- The aging voice exhibits measurable acoustic changes, including increased instability and altered pitch dynamics.
- These findings contribute to understanding the physiological basis of vocal aging.
- Acoustic voice analysis can detect age-related vocal impairments.