The Evolution of Male Voice Acoustics: A Lifespan Perspective
Ambethkar Suprent, Kala Samayan, Abhirami Mani · Audiology and Speech Research · 2025
Purpose: The acoustic parameters of voice, including fundamental frequency (F0), Jitter, Shimmer (dB), and noise-to-harmonic ratio (NHR), exhibit significant changes across the male lifespan. These variations are influenced by anatomical, physiological, and neuromuscular changes in the vocal folds and laryngeal structures. Understanding these changes is essential for developing age-specific diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in voice science. This study aims to develop the acoustic voice parameters in males from the age 6 to 70 years. Methods: A total of 270 healthy male participants were included in this study, with 30 individuals in each of the nine age groups. The vowel /a/ was used as the stimulus for vocal recording. The Computerized Speech Lab (CSL 4500B; PENTAX, Montvale, NJ, USA) software module Multi-dimensional voice profile was utilized to analyze the vocal responses. Results: The results revealed significant differences in all the vocal parameters across the age groups. These differences reflect the age-related changes in the acoustic characteristics of the male voice. the statistical significance of differences was present in the following vocal parameters F0, Jitter, Shimmer (dB), and NHR across different age groups of male participants. The p-value of 0.00 (p < 0.05) for all the parameters indicates that the differences between the age groups are statistically significant.Conclusion: The review highlights the dynamic nature of male vocal acoustics across the lifespan. These findings underscore the importance of age-specific norms for acoustic parameters to improve the accuracy of voice assessments and interventions.