Comparison of postmenopausal voice changes across professional and non-professional users of the voice

Menopause effects a permanent change in certain body functions, including voice. If the voice is used continually as part of one's occupation, this may further impact on postmenopausal voice changes. The present study investigated individual and combined effects of menopause and professional voice use on voice. Ninety-two women were classified into reproductive (52) and postmenopausal (40) groups. Each group was divided into level II (teachers) and level IV (clerks) of Koufman and Isaacson's (1991) classification. Voice samples were recorded and analysed using the VisiPitch III software. Aerodynamic parameters were manually calculated. The Voice Handicap Index (VHI) was included to improve face validity of the study. Results suggest that fundamental frequency (F-o), speaking fundamental frequency (SFo) and maximum phonation time (MPT) decrease after menopause while noise-to-harmonic ratio and voice turbulence index increase. Being a professional voice user seems to affect the nature of postmenopausal voice changes, since an interaction effect was observed for some voice parameters. VHI scores reflect that teachers are aware of voice problems caused by vocal abuse, though relatively unaware of postmenopausal voice changes. The study has implications for improving the working conditions of teachers in India, developing norms for menopausal changes and modifying allowable limits for voice recognition systems in future