Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Speech and Language Pathology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Menopause. 2011 Mar;18(3):267-72. doi: 10.1097/gme.0b013e3181f3ee36.
The purpose of this study was to measure and describe the effect of menopause on vocal characteristics by comparing premenopausal and postmenopausal women (not taking hormone therapy [HT]).
Thirty-eight postmenopausal women (mean age, 58 y) not taking HT participated in the study. The control group consisted of 34 premenopausal women (mean age, 48 y). To determine the vocal characteristics in both groups, objective (aerodynamic measurements, vocal range measurements, acoustic analysis, electroglottography, and a determination of the Dysphonia Severity Index) and subjective (perceptual evaluation, videostroboscopic evaluation, and Voice Handicap Index) assessment techniques were used.
Postmenopausal women showed a good overall vocal quality, with a Dysphonia Severity Index value of 3.3. Significant differences in aerodynamic parameters (vital capacity and phonation quotient), vocal range (lowest frequency), and acoustic parameters (fundamental frequency [F0] during reading, variation of F0, F0 tremor intensity index, and amplitude tremor intensity index) were found between the premenopausal and postmenopausal women. However, when controlling for age, only phonation quotient and F0 during reading were significantly lower in the group of postmenopausal women. For the perceptual evaluation, significant differences in grade of dysphonia, breathiness, and strained vocal quality were found.
Postmenopausal women not taking HT had a good overall vocal quality. However, in comparison with premenopausal women, they showed a lower habitual F0 in continuous speech.
本研究旨在通过比较未服用激素替代疗法（Hormone Therapy，HT）的绝经前和绝经后女性，测量并描述绝经对嗓音特征的影响。
本研究共纳入 38 名未服用 HT 的绝经后女性（平均年龄 58 岁）作为研究对象，对照组由 34 名未服用 HT 的绝经前女性（平均年龄 48 岁）组成。为了确定两组女性的嗓音特征，我们使用了客观（空气动力学测量、音域测量、声学分析、声门电图和发音障碍严重程度指数测定）和主观（感知评估、频闪喉镜评估和嗓音障碍指数）评估技术。
绝经后女性的整体嗓音质量良好，发音障碍严重程度指数（Dysphonia Severity Index，DSI）评分为 3.3。在空气动力学参数（肺活量和发声商）、音域（最低频率）和声学参数（朗读时的基频（F0）、F0 变化、F0 震颤强度指数和振幅震颤强度指数）方面，绝经后女性与绝经前女性之间存在显著差异。然而，在校正年龄因素后，仅发现绝经后女性的发声商和朗读时的 F0 显著较低。在感知评估方面，在发音障碍程度、气息声和紧张音质方面存在显著差异。
未服用 HT 的绝经后女性整体嗓音质量良好，但与绝经前女性相比，她们在连续言语中表现出较低的习惯性 F0。
