Perceptual-Auditory and Acoustical Analysis of the Voices of Transgender Women

Publication date: Available online 28 September 2017
Source:Journal of Voice
Author(s): Karine Schwarz, Anna Martha Vaitses Fontanari, Angelo Brandelli Costa, Bianca Machado Borba Soll, Dhiordan Cardoso da Silva, Anna Paula de Sá Villas-Bôas, Carla Aparecida Cielo, Gabriele Rodrigues Bastilha, Vanessa Veis Ribeiro, Maria Elza Kazumi Yamaguti Dorfmann, Maria Inês Rodrigues Lobato
Voice is an important gender marker in the transition process as a transgender individual accepts a new gender identity. The objectives of this study were to describe and relate aspects of a perceptual-auditory analysis and the fundamental frequency (F0) of male-to-female (MtF) transsexual individuals. A case-control study was carried out with individuals aged 19–52 years who attended the Gender Identity Program of the Hospital de Clínicas of Porto Alegre. Vocal recordings from the MtF transgender and cisgender individuals (vowel /a:/ and six phrases of Consensus Auditory Perceptual Evaluation Voice [CAPE-V]) were edited and randomly coded before storage in a Dropbox folder. The voices (vowel /a:/) were analyzed by consensus on the same day by two judge speech therapists who had more than 10 years of experience in the voice area using the GRBASI perceptual-auditory vocal evaluation scale. Acoustic analysis of the voices was performed using the advanced Multi-Dimensional Voice Program software. The resonance focus and the degrees of masculinity and femininity for each voice recording were determined by listening to the CAPE-V phrases, for the same judges. There were significant differences between the groups regarding a greater frequency of subjects with F0 between 80 and 150 Hz (P = 0.003), and a greater frequency of hypernasal resonant focus (P < 0.001) in the MtF cases and greater frequency of subjects with absence of roughness (P = 0.031) in the control group. The MtF group of individuals showed altered vertical resonant focus, more masculine voices, and lower fundamental frequencies. The control group showed a significant absence of roughness.



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