Fundamental voice frequence during normal and abnormal growth, and after androgen treatment.

Abstract

A simple instrument was suitable for clinical measurement of fundamental voice frequency. Basal frequency (SFF) and lowest frequency (LF) were determined in 374 normal [human] subjects aged 6 yr to adulthood. SFF fell between ages 8 and 10 yr in boys (from 259-247 Hz), but not in girls (253 Hz). LF fell between ages 6 and 10 yr in boys (from 234-203 Hz) and girls (from 230-218 Hz), and a sex difference appeared. In puberty, parallel to pubic hair (PH) development, a gradual fall of SFF and LF occurred in both boys (to 100 and 90 Hz, respectively) and girls (to 213 and 180 Hz). As a group, young hypopituitary children and girls with Turner''s syndrome had a high SFF, and prepubertal boys with delayed maturation a low SFF. In some children with prenatal growth failure, SFF was abnormally high. The girls with Turner''s syndrome exhibited a high, though individually variable, sensitivity of voice to androgen; their voices became lower before the appearance of any other masculinizing effects. The instrument is useful for characterization of growth failure syndromes and stages of puberty. It is particularly recommended for monitoring an undesirable effect on the voice during androgen treatment.