Objective: This prospective study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of intensive voice therapy for recalcitrant puberphonia.
Study Design: The study included 18 male patients diagnosed with recalcitrant puberphonia, all of whom received voice therapy. Acoustic parameters, including fundamental frequency (F0), maximum F0, minimum F0, F0 standard deviation, jitter, shimmer, irregularity, breathiness, overall severity, and glottal noise excitation ratio, were assessed both before treatment and at the four-month follow-up using the Ling Waves analysis system.
Results: Post-treatment assessments at four months showed a statistically significant reduction in F0, maximum F0, F0 standard deviation, and overall severity, alongside a significant increase in the glottal noise excitation ratio. Although the post-treatment values for minimum F0, jitter, shimmer, irregularity, and breathiness were lower than their pretreatment levels, no significant differences were observed for these parameters between the pre- and post-therapy measurements.
Conclusions: The findings indicate that intensive voice therapy is an effective treatment for recalcitrant puberphonia, leading to the restoration of a normal speaking pitch.