The Aging Voice Influence of Respiratory and Laryngeal Changes

ObjectivesTo evaluate the impact on voice quality of 2 pathogenic factors involved in age-related dysphonia: glottal gap and decline in respiratory function.Study DesignCross-sectional prospective.SettingsTertiary referral center.Subjects and MethodsA total of 105 healthy patients ≥65 years old were included, with a maximum phonation time ≤15 seconds for men and ≤12 seconds for women. Laryngostroboscopy and spirometry were conducted to assess the glottal gap and respiratory function, and 4 profiles were defined according to their combination: glottal deficit, respiratory deficit, combined deficit, and no deficit. Differences across profiles in phonation times, acoustic parameters, and GRBAS scale and Voice Handicap Index–10 scores were analyzed according to Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney nonparametric tests. Multiple regression was performed to estimate the influence of each pathogenic factor.ResultsRespiratory deficit was the most frequent profile (37%). When compared to the other groups, patients with ...