Márquez-Ávila CS, Madrazo-Cuéllar MJ, Ibarra-Grajeda D, Olvera-Gómez JL

Language: Spanish
References: 12
Page: 158-162
PDF size: 81.13 Kb.

ABSTRACT

Introduction. There are only a few reports in the literature, addressing puberphonia in deaf adolescents. There are even less reports concerning this voice disorder in cochlear implant users. Fundamental frequency (Fo) is the most useful acoustic parameter for assessing the onset, the occurrence and the end of the puberphonia. In cases of puberphonia, Fo shows a sudden decrease with a long plateau. This sudden decrease is much more noticeable in males than in females. Objective. Measuring changes in the Fo of patients using a cochlear implant, during moulting vocal. Material and methods. A prospective trial was carried out at the Department of Phoniatrics of the Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gomez. From 1999 to 2005 all cochlear implant users were studied. Fo was recorded every 6 months, before the onset of puberphonia. Patients were followed for a minimum of 2 years and a maximum of 6 years. Kaplan-Meier curves were used for determine the onset of puberphonia. Results. Five females and 5 males were included in the study group. All patients underwent cochlear implant surgery between 9 and 13 years of age. In all cases, cochlear implants were placed in only one ear (unilateral cochlear implant). When the patients were included in the study group, a perceptual evaluation demonstrated a normal voice. Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrated that male patients showed Fo compatible with puberphonia between 12 and 14 years of age. The final mean Fo was 137 Hz. None of the female patients showed any changes compatible with puberphonia. Fo remained low, with a mean of 198 Hz. Mean Fo did not show significant differences as compared with the reported mean Fo of normal hearing females (246 Hz) and non-implanted deaf females (216 Hz). Conclusions. Puberphonia was present at the expected age in male patients. There were no cases of puberphonia among the female patients.

REFERENCES

1. Hollien H. On pubescent voice change in males. J Voice 2012: e29-e40.

2. Campisi P, Tewfik TL, Manoukian JJ, Schloss MD, Pelland-Blais E, Sadeghi N. Computer-assisted voice analysis: establishing a pediatric database. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2002; 128: 156-60.

3. Abitbol J, Abitbol P, Abitbol B. Sex hormones and the female voice. J Voice 1999; 13: 424-46.

4. Jackson-Menaldi MC. La voz normal. Argentina: Médica Panamericana; 1992.

5. Le Huche F, Allali A. La Voz. Tomo I y II. España: Masson; 1994.

6. Morrison M, Rammage L. Tratamiento de los trastornos de la voz. España: Masson; 1996.

7. Dehqan A, Scherer RC. Objetive voice analysis of boys with profound hearing loss. J Voice 2011; 25: e61-e65.

8. Perrin E, Berger-Vachon C, Topouzkhanian A, Truy E, Morgon A. Evaluation of cochlear implanted children’s voices. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 1999; 47: 181-6.

9. Higgins MB, McCleary EA, Carney AE, Schulte L. Longitudinal changes in children’s speech and voice physiology after cochlear implantation. Ear Hear 2003; 24: 48-70.

10. Valero Garcia J, Rovira JM, Sanvicens LG. The influence of the auditory prosthesis type on deaf children’s voice quality. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2010; 74: 843-8.

11. Holler T, Campisi P, Allegro J, Chadha NK, Harrison RV, Papsin B, et al. Abnormal voicing in children using cochlear implants. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2010; 136: 17-21.

12. Baudonck N, D’haeseleer E, Dhooge I, Van Lierde K. Objective vocal quality in children using cochlear implants: a multiparameter approach. J Voice 2011; 6: 683-91.