Effects of Aging and Smoking on Acoustic Characteristics of Voice.
- Author:
Soon Yuhl NAM
1
;
Eui Cheol NAM
;
Kwang Sun LEE
Author Information
1. Department of Otolaryngology, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Seoul, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Aging;
Smoking;
Voice
- MeSH:
Acoustics*;
Aged;
Aging*;
Female;
Humans;
Male;
Noise;
Phonation;
Smoke*;
Smoking*;
Voice*
- From:Korean Journal of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
1997;40(8):1156-1161
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate aging and smoking effects on acoustic characteristics of voice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty men and sixty women representing two chronological age Groups(young and elderly, i.e. 20-35 and over 60). A computerized acoustic analysis program(CSL-MDVP) was used to measure mean fundamental frequency(Fo), jitter, shimmer, and noise to harmonics ratio(NHR) from voice samples of sustained phonation of vowel /a/. RESULTS: The elderly females showed lower Fo than young females, but produced similar jitter, shimmer and NHR. In male groups, the elderly had about 10Hz higher voice than young males and produced more jitter and shimmer. And multiple regression analysis showed both aging and smoking had significant correlation with increase of jitter and shimmer. The values of NHR showed no significant difference between any groups. Intersubject difference was larger in elderly groups, and was most apparent in the elderly-smoking group. CONCLUSION: While chronological aging is undoubtedly a contributor to such changes in the characteristics of voice, these results suggest that the onset of vocal aging could be different between the subjects of same age and the effect of smoking must be considered in the acoustic analysis of voice.