What are age-related voice changes?
The larynx and vocal folds age along with the rest of the body. Aging affects two main aspects of vocal fold anatomy and function. First of all, the muscle of the vocal fold loses bulk (a process called “atrophy”), much like muscle elsewhere in the body. Second, the flexible tissues which are responsible for vocal fold vibration during voicing (known as the superficial lamina propria; click here for more information) become thinner, stiffer and less pliable. Together, these changes sometimes result in a voice which is perceived as sounding “old.” Changes related to age vary a great deal from person to person, both in severity and time of onset. Some individuals may retain a resonant, normal-sounding voice deep into their 80s, whereas others begin to sound “old” as early as their 50s. We do not know what accounts for this variation. It is possible that some of it is genetically determined, and accounts for patterns of vocal aging that run in families. Age-related voice change is one of
