Acoustic, perceptual and physiological studies of ten-year-old children's voices

The aim of the present investigation was to study hoarseness and its perceptual, acoustic and physiological characteristics in ten-year-old children’s voices. Fifty-eight children’s voices were perceptually evaluated along 15 voice parameters. The rank ordered means of each parameter revealed a discontinuity in the distribution for all parameters except pitch, breathiness and vocal fry. This discontinuity was used as an operational borderline between normal and deviant voice characteristics. Statistical analysis showed that hyperfunction, breathiness and roughness are the main predictors of hoarseness. Pitch and intensity ranges of 60 children were recorded in voice range profiles (VRP). Vocal fold status was determined by video-microlaryngoscopy and, when possible, also by stroboscopy. Six children, all boys had vocal nodules. Twentyfive children had incomplete glottal closure. The children had somewhat compressed VRP contours reflecting a more restricted pitch range and dynamics than