ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study investigated changes of voice and hearing in premenopausal and postmenopausal woman METHODS: We studied forty postmenopausal and forty premenopausal women. Each women was asked to describe their subjective vocal symptoms and phonate a vowel /a/ sound for 3 seconds. The phonated sound in each case was recorded and analysed by the computerized speech lab (LSL 4300B, KAY Elemetrics Corp. USA). we also conducted audiometric pure-tone threshold testing on the same group. Statistical analysis of voice and hearing parameters was done by paired T test RESULTS: Jitter in menopausal group was significantly increased compared with premenopausal group, but other voice parameters showed no significant differences. There were no significant changes of vocal parameters between menopausal patients with or without vocal symptoms. And there were no significant changes of hearing parameters, either CONCLUSION: The change of voice parameters was objectively identified in menopausal women, and so therapist of menopausal symptoms must take the voice changes into consideration.