The aging adult voice

Acoustic and Respiratory Measures as a Function of Age in the Male Voice

“…On the other hand, for women, there appears to be a continuous decrease in F0 with age, or it stays constant until menopause after which time it decreases anywhere from 10 to 35 Hz [31][32][33].…”

Relationship of the Cricothyroid Space with Vocal Range in Female Singers

“…There were no significant age related differences in vocal range, in particular no change in the vocal range, with progressive loss of top voice, expansion of lower voice, and reduction in total voice range with increasing age as described in the literature (Mueller, et al, 1984;Linville, 1987;Sataloff, et al, 1997;Teles-Magalhães, et al, 2000;Verdonck-de Leeuw & Mahieu, 2004). The performance vocal range did not decrease over the age range of the study sample and there was no reduction in the lowest and highest performance note with age.…”

“…Specifically, the vocal folds may thicken, the superficial layer of the lamina propria may become thinner and/or more oedematous, and the vocalis muscle may atrophy. The main effect on the voice is a change in vocal range, with progressive loss of top voice, expansion of lower voice, and reduction in total voice range (Mueller, et al, 1984;Linville, 1987;Sataloff, et al, 1997;Teles-Magalhães et al, 2000;Verdonck-de Leeuw & Mahieu, 2004). Other effects of aging include a deterioration in vocal quality, abnormal vibration of the vocal folds, reduction in the control of pitch, a marked decrease in vocal agility, reduced responsiveness between nerve impulses and muscle fibres (adversely affecting the cricothyroid and thyroarytenoid muscles), a decrease in glottal firmness and reduced elasticity of the vocal folds.…”

“…Regular vocal exercises help to keep the laryngeal cartilages flexible, extending the life of the singing voice. In trained singers, age related changes seem to be less prominent or even absent (Hollien & Shipp, 1972;Sataloff, et al, 1997). The well-known Italian tenor, Martinelli, was still singing roles at the Metropolitan Opera House at the age of 76 years.…”

Cordectomía posterior en el tratamiento de la parálisis bilateral de cuerdas vocales. ¿Debe ser la edad una limitación en su indicación?

“…Este grupo de pacientes con un resultado secundario más pobre pertenecían todos ellos al grupo B. Posiblemente cabe mencionar que la edad elevada puede condicionar este resultado al añadirse al defecto producido por la cirugía un componente de presbifonía con menos volumen de la cuerda contralateral [28,29]. Los 3 pacientes eran portadores de traqueotomía antes de la cirugía por lo que la resección de la cuerda pudo ser quizás algo más agresiva teniendo como objetivo una decanulación temprana.…”