Analysis of the Auditory-Perceptual Voice Quality in Older and Younger Adults Without Self-Reported Voice Complaints.

Abstract

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to compare the auditory perceptual voice quality in young and older adults who had no self-reported voice complaints and to investigate the relationship of voice quality with age and gender in older adults.

Study design: This is a retrospective study.

Materials and methods: This study included 114 participants. The study group comprised 57 older adults (24 men, 33 women) with a mean age of 72.6 ± 0.76 years, while the control group included 57 young adults matched by gender. All participants reported no voice complaints and scored less than 19 points on the Voice Handicap Index. Clinicians applied the GRBAS (Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, and Strain) auditory perceptual assessment protocol to evaluate the voice quality of the participants of the study and control groups.

Results: More than half of the study group (50.9%) were rated as having mild voice abnormality (G1) based on the GRBAS auditory perceptual assessment protocol, while 21.1% exhibited moderate (G2). In contrast, only 19.3% of the control group participants had mild voice abnormality. The study group demonstrated statistically worse voice quality compared to the control group. Furthermore, participants over 75 years of age had statistically higher G ratings compared to those under 75. No significant difference was found between the G category and gender in older adults.

Conclusions: The present study's findings indicate that compared to younger adults, older adults perceive voice quality deviation less than clinicians do. Furthermore, it is found that the deviation in voice quality among older adults was influenced by age but not by gender. This study highlights the need for screening and early identification/prevention of voice disorders in older adults.