Is Partial Deafness Dysphonia Gender Related?

Abstract

Partial deafness (PD) is a hearing impairment that presents with normal hearing thresholds at low frequencies (up to 1 kHz), and deep hypoacusis at high frequencies. For many years, this type of hypoacusis has not been treated with typical hearing aids because of a low level of speech understanding improvement. Since the first worldwide PD cochlear implantation conducted in 2002, this type of hearing impairment became a subject of research also in the aspect of its influence on the patient's voice.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine whether voice disorders accompanying postlingual PD in adults present gender differences.

Methods: The study group involved 30 patients with post lingual PD (15 females and 15 males) in whom pre existing voice disorders were excluded. Voice samples were recorded and analyzed using Multi-dimensional Voice Program by Kay Pentax.

Conclusions: The study showed that adults with PD develop voice dysfunctions; however, no major differences between females and males were found.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine whether voice disorders accompanying postlingual PD in adults present gender differences. The word gender in the paper is understood as a set of biological attributes associated with physical and physiological features; therefore, is used as the equivalent of sex.