Objective: There is no normative voice dataset regarding the vocal capacity of Japanese speakers in the English literature. We collected age- and sex-stratified data on the vocal capacity of vocally healthy Japanese speakers.
Methods: In total, 111 vocally healthy Japanese speakers (42 men and 69 women) were divided into the young (13 men and 30 women), middle-aged (18 men and 27 women), and elderly (11 men and 12 women) groups. Participants underwent duration-, intensity-, and pitch-related vocal capacity tests using either a conventional method or an aerodynamic method or both. The data obtained were statistically analyzed in terms of age and sex.
Results: Overall, the duration- and pitch-related parameters measured by the conventional method were generally comparable to the previous results in the literature, while duration-, pitch-, and intensity-related parameters measured by the aerodynamic method differed significantly from them. Significant sex differences were noted in all parameters in the duration-, intensity-, and pitch-related vocal capacity tests. Furthermore, significant age-related changes were observed in all parameters, except for the mean flow rate and highest pitch measured by the aerodynamic method.
Conclusion: This study is the first to provide a sex- and age-stratified database of the normative vocal capacity data of Japanese speakers. However, further improvements will be needed in the assessment protocols, conditions, or devices used for the duration-, intensity-, and pitch-related vocal capacity tests in the aerodynamic method.
Keywords: Japanese; age; normal voice; sex; vocal capacity.
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