JOURNAL OF VOICE, cilt.30, sa.3, ss.322-328, 2016 (SCI-Expanded)
Summary: Objective/Hypothesis. Objective measurements are quite important for assessment of voice disorders.
The first aim of this study was to establish a prototype database of normative values of voice analysis parameters in
healthy Turkish adult female population. The second aim was to evaluate the variations of these parameters during physiological menstrual cycle.
Study Design. This is a prospective, single-blind study.
Methods. Eighty-nine healthy women (mean age, 31.5 ± 6.0 years) with normal physical findings and without vocal
abuse or dysphonia were participated. Detailed physical and videostroboscopic larynx examination was done. Participants’ voice samples of sustained /a/ and /i/ vowels were recorded, and voice analysis was done. GRBAS scale was done
by four otolaryngologists, and subjects were asked to score their own voice quality using Voice Handicap Index-10
(VHI-10) at the premenstruation, during menstruation, and postmenstruation periods.
Results. Eighty-nine healthy Turkish women’s some normative acoustic vocal parameters of three different phases of
menstrual cycle were reported. The data indicated that during the premenstruation period; the mean jitter %, shimmer %
and noise-to-harmonic ratio values were significantly higher than that of other two periods. Variations of computerized
acoustic vocal analysis parameters through menstruation cycle were in concordance with the perceptual voice assessment (GRBAS) and the questionnaire of subjects’ perception of their own voices (VHI-10).
Conclusions. In this study the normative values of voice analysis parameters of healthy adult Turkish women was
reported. Adding computerized voice analysis parameters may improve the assessment and screening of voice in routine
clinical practice because this is a simple and reliable method. Evaluation of voice can be performed regardless of the
phases of menstrual cycle, but not performing acoustic analysis during the premenstrual period may prevent some of
the unintended errors.
Key Words: Voice analysis–Female–Menstruation.