The impact of tamoxifen treatment on voice parameters in premenopausal women with breast cancer

OBJECTIVE

The study aims to investigate the estrogen-agonistic effects of tamoxifen on voice parameters in premenopausal women diagnosed with breast cancer.

METHODS

A total of 108 premenopausal women were included, segmented into distinct treatment groups and a control group. Objective sound analysis was conducted using robust statistical methods, employing SPSS 25.0 for data analysis.

RESULTS

The study identified a statistically significant reduction in Jitter values across all treatment groups compared to the control group. No significant changes were observed in other voice quality parameters such as F0, Shimmer, NHR, and HNR.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that tamoxifen may have an estrogen-agonistic effect on voice quality, thereby potentially influencing future treatment protocols. This research fills a critical void in existing literature and sets the stage for more comprehensive studies that consider affects of hormonal therapies to voice.

Effect of sex hormones on human voice physiology: from childhood to senescence

The aim of the present literature review is to describe the influence of sex hormones on the human voice in physiological conditions. As a secondary sexual organ, the larynx is affected by sex hormones and may change considerably over the lifespan. In the current review, sex hormone-related voice modifications occurring during childhood, puberty, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and senescence are described. The roles of sex hormones (including gonadotropins, testosterone, estrogen, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate) underlying physiological voice changes are discussed, the main differences between males and females are explained and clinical implications are taken into account.

High-Speed Characterization of Vocal Fold Vibrations in Normally Cycling and Postmenopausal Women: Randomized Double-Blind Analyses

Purpose The aim of this study was to examine the influence of menstrual cycle phases (follicular, ovulatory, luteal, and ischemic) and hormone levels (estradiol, testosterone, progesterone, and neuropeptide Y) on vocal fold vibrations in reproductive and postmenopausal women. Method Glottal area waveforms were extracted from high-speed videoendoscopy during sustained phonation, inhalation phonation, and voice onset/offset in the reproductive (n = 15) and postmenopausal (n = 13) groups. Linear mixed-model analysis was conducted to evaluate hormone levels and high-speed videoendoscopy outcome variables between the reproductive and postmenopausal groups. In the reproductive group, simple linear regression and multiple regression were conducted to determine the effects of hormones on the dependent variables. Results Group differences between reproductive and postmenopausal women were identified for stiffness index, oscillatory onset time, and oscillatory offset time. Neuropeptide Y hormone in the ischemic phase significantly predicted changes in the reproductive group for some dependent variables; however, the relationship varied for sustained phonation and inhalation phonation. Conclusion These findings provide preliminary evidence that vocal fold vibrations in the reproductive group are different predominantly in the ischemic phase due to neuropeptide Y changes.

Comparison of Fundamental Frequency in Postmenopausal Women Who Are Treated With Hormone Replacement Therapy vs Those Who Are Not: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Importance

Hormonal changes during menopause have been associated with significant changes in voice. Although hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is used primarily to manage systemic symptoms of menopause, its association with voice in postmenopausal women has not been adequately investigated by large-scale studies.

Objective

To compare fundamental frequency between postmenopausal women who used HRT and those who did not use HRT.

Data Sources

PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane EBM Reviews, and Embase were searched from 1946 to February 19, 2020.

Study Selection

Studies included in the final review were those in English that compared voice outcomes in postmenopausal women who were or were not receiving HRT for treatment of climacteric symptoms associated with menopause.

Data Extraction and Synthesis

The study was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reporting guideline. Data extraction was performed by 2 independent investigators. Study quality was assessed using a validated quality tool. Whenever possible, data were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was the difference in speaking fundamental frequency (F0) between HRT users and nonusers. Subgroup analysis of the primary outcome was based on body mass index (BMI) using a cutoff value of 25. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal, and a BMI of at least 25 is considered overweight. Secondary outcomes included other objective measurements of voice, including jitter and shimmer.

Results

A total of 937 records were screened, 18 full texts were assessed, and 11 studies were included in the final review. All 11 studies were case-control studies and were rated from fair to good quality based on the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. A total of 5 studies including 154 participants who received HRT and 154 controls were used for meta-analysis. The mean (SD) F0 was 185.9 (8.6) Hz for HRT users compared with 174.6 (6.6) Hz for nonusers. Hormone replacement therapy was associated with a higher mean F0 by a difference of 11.85 Hz (95% CI, 7.35-16.36 Hz). Subgroup analysis showed that the change in F0 was significant in postmenopausal women with a normal body mass index (mean difference, 13.47 Hz; 95% CI, 8.48-18.46 Hz) but not in those with a high body mass index.

Conclusions and Relevance

Existing evidence suggests that HRT is associated with a higher F0 in postmenopausal women. The effectiveness of the treatment appeared to be more pronounced in women with a normal body mass index.

The Effects of Menopause on Neuromuscular Parameters of the Rat Vocal Folds

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS

Menopause adversely affecs power and endurance of the limb muscles. However, despite clinical observations that menopause corresponds to negative changes of the voice, the direct effects of estrogen deprivation on the thyroarytenoid muscles are unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of estrogen deprivation via ovariectomy on three neuromuscular parameters of the thyroarytenoid muscles using a rat model.

STUDY DESIGN

Animal model.

METHODS

Cryosections of vocal folds of 20 (10 control and 10 ovariectomized) female rats were stained to label neuromuscular junctions, fiber size, or parvalbumin levels using immunohistochemical techniques and compared between experimental groups.

RESULTS

The neuromuscular junctions, thyroarytenoid fiber sizes, and parvalbumin levels of the vocal folds were similar between experimental groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The loss of estrogen did not change neuromuscular parameters of the vocal folds of adult female rats; therefore, vocal changes within the outer vibratory layers of the vocal folds may primarily be responsible for clinically observed menopausal vocal changes.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

NA Laryngoscope, 131:1343-1348, 2021.

A Tutorial of the Effects of Sex Hormones on Laryngeal Senescence and Neuromuscular Response to Exercise

Purpose The purpose of this tutorial is to summarize how sex hormones affect both laryngeal senescence and neuromuscular response to exercise, highlighting the importance of considering sex differences in developing treatment for the senescent voice. Conclusion Men and women's voices are sexually dimorphic throughout the life span, including during the laryngeal adaptations observed during senescence. Therefore, presbyphonia (age-related dysphonia) likely clinically manifests differently for men and women due to differences in how the male and the female larynx change in response to aging. Because sexual dimorphism is evident in both laryngeal aging and response to exercise, voice therapy programs aimed at treating the typical and disordered aged voice should consider sex differences in their design.

Vocal Symptoms and Acoustic Findings in Menopausal Women in Comparison to Pre-menopause Women with Body Mass Index as a Confounding Variable

Objectives

To compare the prevalence of phonatory symptoms in menopausal women compared to pre-menopause women with body mass index (BMI) as a confounding variable.

Methods

A total of 69 women, 34 menopausal and 35 pre-menopausal were invited to participate in this study. Demographic variables included age, smoking, and BMI. All subjects were asked about the presence hoarseness, loss of high or low frequencies, pitch breaks, throat clearing, dryness in the throat and vocal fatigue. Acoustic analysis was performed and the Voice Handicap Index (VHI)-10 was filled by all the subjects.

Results

There was a significantly higher prevalence of throat clearing and dryness in the menopausal group compared to the pre-menopause group with a P value of 0.035 and 0.032 respectively. When BMI was taken into account, there was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of any of the phonatory symptoms in menopausal women with high BMI and pre-menopause. There was no statistically significant difference in the means of any of the acoustic parameters between the menopausal group and pre-menopausal group. There was no significant difference in the mean VHI-10 between the menopause group and the pre-menopause (P = 0.652).

Conclusions

The results of this investigation substantiate the importance of fat as an alternative source of estrogen which can mask some of the phonatory symptoms.