Estudo da freqüência fundamental da voz de idosas portadoras de diferentes graus de perda auditiva

Increased life expectancy raises demands for special attention for the elderly population; speech, language and hearing science deals with their communication disorders. Hearing loss is a common disorder affecting this age group. It is known that the auditory feedback system is essential to human vocalizing, as it organizes voice production. AIM: To assess and correlate the hearing system and the Fundamental Frequency (F0) of women who have variable degrees of sensorineural hearing loss. MATERIAL AND METHOD: a cross-sectional descriptive study. 30 women with a mean age of 75.95 (SD = 7,41) were included. Inclusion criteria were: symmetric sensorineural hearing loss, a high-frequency sloping configuration, and a type A tympanogram. Subjects underwent Pure Tone Audiometry, a Word Recognition Test, Tympanometry, and Voice Assessment. RESULTS: Patients with higher degrees of hearing loss showed an increased fundamental frequency. CONCLUSION: In aged individuals with hearing loss, audiovocal monitoring is altered, resulting in voice parameter changes.