Summary
Introduction
Sarcopenia is a common and natural condition in the elderly, and leads to loss of
muscle mass and function. In the presbylarynx there is atrophy of the vocal folds,
however the degree of vocal muscle atrophy is poorly studied and the results are contradictory.
Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of aging on the vocal muscle
(thyroarytenoid muscle).
Methods
Thirteen larynxes removed during necropsy from 13 cadavers were included into two
age groups: Control group – G1 (n5), between 25 and 40 years; Elderly Group - GI (n-8),
aged 70 years or older. The vocal folds were dissected and prepared for scanning electron
microscopy, ensuring a cross-section in the musculature area to allow measurements
of muscle fiber parameters. Images were analyzed and photographed at different magnifications.
Through the ImageJ software, ten distinct fields of each part were selected. Parameters
studied: area, perimeters and diagonals of the thyroarytenoid muscle bundles of both
groups.
Results
The cross-sectional areas, perimeters and diagonals of the muscle fibers of the thyroarytenoid
muscle of the elderly group were significantly smaller than those of the control group.
Conclusion
We demonstrated that the vocal muscle is affected in the presbylarynx, with a reduction
of its muscle fibers, corresponding to muscle atrophy. However, these findings may
not be directly related to vocal symptoms because the patient may develop muscle compensatory
mechanisms capable of reducing glottic insufficiency
Key words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 15, 2022
Accepted:
March 21,
2022
Publication stage
In Press Corrected ProofIdentification
Copyright
© 2022 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
