The impact of hormonal fluctuations on female vocal folds.
OBJECTIVE
Sex hormone fluctuations were shown to affect female vocal folds and laryngeal function. Laryngeal changes are evident throughout the span of life, starting at puberty with the arousal of the hormonal system, fluctuating systematically during the reproductive years with the menstrual cycle, and then changing again with the decline of hormonal activity at menopause. This paper reviews recent developments in this field.


RESULTS
Early studies that explored this relation were based merely on subjective impressions of voice quality, recent studies have used more objective tools for examining this relation, including histologic observations, stroboscope, electroglottography (EGG), and computerized acoustic analyses. In these studies, the larynx was shown to be a hormonal target organ and, as such, sex hormones affect its morphology, histology, and function, similar to their effect on the genitals and other organs.


CONCLUSIONS
Examining the relation between sex hormones and the larynx could assist in understanding the mechanisms of voice production, and it could provide the clinician with supplemental diagnostic information on different medical conditions.
Amir
Ofer
O
Department of Communication Disorders, Sackler Medical School, Tel-Aviv University, Israel. oferamir@post.tau.ac.il
Biron-Shental
Tal
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology*; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011627:Puberty / Q000502:physiology*; D013018:Sound Spectrography; D014833:Voice Quality / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones