Clinical analysis of voice change as a parameter of premenstrual syndrome

We have evaluated the relationship between voice change and premenstrual sy ndrome (PMS) by comparing acoustic measurements made during the follicular phase and the premenstrual phase. Twenty-eight women were followed for 2 mo nths for this study. Each participant was asked to produce an /a/ sound for 5 seconds at the midfollicular phase of the menstrual cycle and then 2-3 d ays before menstruation. Each voice sample was stored and analyzed by the D r. Speech Science program. The voice data collected from all subjects durin g the two phases were compared. After that, the subjects were divided into a PMS-positive and PMS-negative group according to the criteria cited in th e Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), the voice data from each group were compared separately between the two phases. Ther e was no significant difference in the acoustic parameters between the two phases in all subjects (N = 28), In the PMS-positive group (N = 16), jitter was significantly increased during the premenstrual phase compared to the follicular phase (p = 0.048), The patient's PMS score was not correlated wi th the severity of voice change. We conclude that the change of voice param eter was objectively identified in the PMS-positive group, therefore more c areful voice habituation is required during the premenstrual phase in that group.