The Change of the Voice Parameters in Long-term Sensorineural Hearing Loss Patients

장기간의 양측 감각신경성 난청환자에서 음성지표의 변화

  • 윤자복 (인제대학교 의과대학 상계백병원 이비인후과학교실) ;
  • 조경래 (인제대학교 의과대학 상계백병원 이비인후과학교실) ;
  • 정상원 (인제대학교 의과대학 상계백병원 이비인후과학교실) ;
  • 최정환 (인제대학교 의과대학 상계백병원 이비인후과학교실) ;
  • 유영삼 (인제대학교 의과대학 상계백병원 이비인후과학교실) ;
  • 우훈영 (인제대학교 의과대학 상계백병원 이비인후과학교실) ;
  • 이강수 (한림대학교 의과대학 이비인후과학교실)
  • Published : 2001.12.01

Abstract

Backgrounds & Objectives : Prolonged hearing loss was considered as one of the factors which have the potential to cause vocal changes. However, the analysis of quality of phonation in hearing loss patients has not been achieved enough. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the difference in objective acoustic parameters between long-term hearing impaired patients and normal control group. Material & Methods : The material of this investigation comprised a group of 20 patients (M : F=10 : 10) with moderate or profound hearing loss(over 50dB). The duration of all hearing loss was over 1 year. All of them underwent the acoustic examinations comprising electroglottography, multidimensional voice program and formant analysis during phonation of the bowels /a/ with free confortable tone and /i/ with voluntary high tone. The results of the acoustic examinations were compared with those of a control group, composed of 20 sex- and age-matched normal hearing subjects. Results : In the male hearing loss subjects, the significant increase was detected in pitch and shimmer during phonation of /a/ and in pitch during phonation of /i/. In addition, this group was characterized by decreased fundamental frequency during phonation of /i/. In female, there was no difference between hearing loss group and normal control group except a decreased formant 1 frequency. Conclusion : Long-term moderate and profound sensorineural hearing loss could affect the objective voice parameters.

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