Survey study, 2001
Does voice change during the premenstrual phase in women with PMS?
Women with PMS do have measurable changes in their voice during the premenstrual phase, specifically increased shakiness. However, how much the voice changes does not match how severe their PMS symptoms are.
What they did
28 women recorded voice samples during the middle of their menstrual cycle and again 2-3 days before their period over 2 months. Researchers analyzed the recordings using a computer program and compared women with PMS to those without.
What they found
Overall, there was no clear difference in voice across the cycle. However, in the 16 women with PMS, voice shakiness increased during the premenstrual phase. The amount of voice change did not match how severe their PMS symptoms were.
What it means for you
Women with PMS may notice their voice sounds different before their period, which is a real physical change and not imagined. However, voice change cannot be used to diagnose or measure the severity of PMS. The main limitation is the small sample size.
28
women studied
16
women with PMS
2-3 days before
when premenstrual voice was recorded
About the study
- Original title
- Clinical analysis of voice change as a parameter of premenstrual syndrome
- Authors
- Chae SW, Choi G, Kang HJ et al.
- Journal
- Journal of voice : official journal of the Voice Foundation
- Year
- 2001
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 28
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/s0892-1997(01)00028-5