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The ageing voice and voice therapy in geriatrics

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Abstract

Background

Although voice therapy is commonly used as an initial treatment for geriatric dysphonia, its role in the treatment for different organic voice disorder is less defined.

Aims

The goal of this study was to investigate dysphonia and therapy modalities in this cohort.

Methods

This study analyzes the demographics, Voice Handicap Index questionnaires, and acoustic voice measures including fundamental frequency, jitter and shimmer by using Kay Elemetrics Computerized Speech Lab Multidimensional voice program which were obtained in all patients before and after treatment. A total of 91 (55 men and 36 women) patients with voice complaints, age ranging from 50 to 91 years (mean 64.11 ± 7.2) diagnosed of any vocal fold pathology were made via strobovideolaryngoscopy.

Results

Vocal nodules in 23.9 % (N = 22) was the most common diagnosis associated with the voice complaints, followed by laryngopharyngeal reflux in 10.8 % (N = 10) and paresis in 9.78 % (N = 9). VHI scores varied greatly, ranging from 4 to 92, with an average score of 42.7. Multidimensional voice program scores showed that fundamental frequency (F0) tends to rise as a function of age in men (mean 283.66 ± 23.7).

Discussion

Fundamental frequency perturbation may be affected in ageing, both genders same values detected. Of these patients, 80 % received hygienic voice therapy and % 20 symptomatic voice therapies. This study identified fundamental frequency alteration for ageing voice and dysphonia in all elderly patients presenting with voice complaints.

Conclusion

Additional research is needed to determine normative values for multidimensional voice program scores and other assessments in the elderly population.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Speech and Language Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Anadolu University, Eskisehir, Turkey

    Müzeyyen Çiyiltepe

  2. Department of Special Education, Faculty of Education, Çukurova University, 01130, Sarıcam, Adana, Turkey

    Özgül Akın Şenkal

Authors
  1. Müzeyyen Çiyiltepe
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  2. Özgül Akın Şenkal
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Correspondence to Özgül Akın Şenkal.

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This study was approved by Anadolu University Institutional Review Board and Ethics Committee.

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We undersign, certificate that the procedures and the experiments we have done respect the ethical standards in the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000 (5), as well as the national law.

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For this type of study formal consent is not required.

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Çiyiltepe, M., Şenkal, Ö.A. The ageing voice and voice therapy in geriatrics. Aging Clin Exp Res 29, 403–410 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-016-0597-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-016-0597-3

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