D'haeseleer Evelien, Claeys Sofie, Bettens Kim, Leemans Laura, Van Calster Ann-Sophie, Van Damme Nina, Thijs Zoë, Daelman Julie, Leyns Clara, Van Lierde Kristiane
Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Ghent University, Belgium.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Ghent University Hospital, Belgium.
J Voice. 2017 Jul;31(4):516.e19-516.e26. doi: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2016.12.016. Epub 2017 Feb 7.
The purpose of this study was to measure the objective and subjective vocal quality in women aged between 60 and 75 years. Secondly, the impact of a teaching or singing career on the vocal quality was investigated by comparing the vocal quality of retired women with different careers.
This is a case-control study.
Seventy-three retired women between 60 and 75 years (mean age: 67 years, standard deviation: 4.49) participated in the study and were divided into three groups: women with a teaching career (n = 21), choir singers with a singing career (n = 12), and women with a non-vocal career (n = 40). All subjects underwent the same assessment protocol consisting of objective (aerodynamic, maximum performance, vocal range, acoustic measurements, and the Dysphonia Severity Index) and subjective (the Voice Handicap Index, auditory-perceptual evaluations by three listeners) voice measurements.
In all three groups, objective and perceptual voice analysis showed a mild dysphonia. No differences in the Dysphonia Severity Index were found between the three groups. The voices of choir singers with a singing career were perceived significantly less rough than voices of the women with a non-vocal career. Additionally, the lowest frequency of the frequency range was significantly lower in the retired teachers and choir singers than in the controls.
The results of this study prudently suggest that a singing or a teaching career compared with a non-vocal career has a positive impact on the vocal frequency range, and that singing has a positive impact on the perceptual vocal quality of the older female voice.
本研究旨在测量60至75岁女性的客观和主观嗓音质量。其次，通过比较不同职业退休女性的嗓音质量，研究教学或歌唱职业对嗓音质量的影响。
这是一项病例对照研究。
73名年龄在60至75岁之间的退休女性（平均年龄：67岁，标准差：4.49）参与了本研究，并被分为三组：从事教学职业的女性（n = 21）、从事歌唱职业的合唱团歌手（n = 12）和从事非嗓音职业的女性（n = 40）。所有受试者都接受了相同的评估方案，包括客观（空气动力学、最大发声能力、音域、声学测量和嗓音障碍严重程度指数）和主观（嗓音障碍指数、由三名听众进行的听觉感知评估）嗓音测量。
在所有三组中，客观和感知嗓音分析均显示存在轻度嗓音障碍。三组之间在嗓音障碍严重程度指数上未发现差异。从事歌唱职业的合唱团歌手的嗓音被感知到的粗糙程度明显低于从事非嗓音职业的女性。此外，退休教师和合唱团歌手的频率范围最低频率显著低于对照组。
本研究结果谨慎地表明，与非嗓音职业相比，歌唱或教学职业对嗓音频率范围有积极影响，并且歌唱对老年女性的感知嗓音质量有积极影响。
