Medizinische Universität Graz Austria/Österreich - Forschungsportal - Medical University of Graz
Gewählte Publikation:
Schökler, B.
Die männliche Stimme in Abhängigkeit vom Hormonstatus.
[ Diplomarbeit/Master Thesis ] Graz Medical University; 2008. pp.126.
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- Autor*innen der Med Uni Graz:
- Betreuer*innen:
- Friedrich Gerhard
- Gugatschka Markus
- Altmetrics:
- Abstract:
- In a prospective epidemiological-based case-control study we reassessed the influence of sex hormones on the male voice in an elderly cohort. The human organism underlies a number of hormonal influenced changes throughout the aging process. Hitherto it has not been cleared, whether the aging male voice is also a target of these changes, like several other parameters such as bone density. 64 voice-healthy men, mean age of 60 +/- 10 years, were split up in two groups: Men with normal androgen- and/or estrogen levels and men with lowered levels of sex hormones, called hypogonades. Each participant had to undergo assessment of voice parameters, videostroboscopy and a blood draw. In addition, a questionnaire concerning impairment of the voice (SSI) and the aging-male symptoms (AMS) was handed-out. We found out that low levels of androgens did not correlate with voice parameters. Certainly a decreased level of estrogens, but not a combination of both androgens and estrogens, made a significant increase in mean fundamental frequency F0, as well as changes of highest and lowest frequency including a shift of frequency range. To our knowledge this is the first prospective study dealing with sex hormones and the male voice. Elderly men with reduced serum levels of estrogens had a significantly higher F0, increased highest and lowest frequencies, plus shift of the voice range. Our study demonstrates that the male voice is another target of decreasing levels of sex hormones occurring during the aging process.