Muscle spasms in the larynxa condition called dystonia. Just like other muscles thin out or atrophy, the vocal folds do as well,” says Gina Vess, a speech pathologist and director of the Clinical Voice Programs at Duke University Medical Center. Persistent vocal changes other than hoarseness often point to a neurologic cause. “The vocal folds are made up of muscle and collagen among other things. A hoarse voice may sound breathy, raspy, strained, or there may changes in volume and. Even the joints in our vocal chords can become arthritic, contributing to problems. Hoarseness is a general term for abnormal changes in voice quality. And the transformations in the respiratory system and chest mean we have less power behind our voices. Weakened and dry vocal chords become stringy, which prevent normal vibration, causing higher pitched voices that sound thin. Our respiratory systems and torsos change, too, with our lungs and chest cavities becoming more rigid, while our spines curve, causing us to stoop over (for some a little, others a lot). MS Brain Fog Tips to Help You Think Clearly. This tool does not provide medical advice. When we age our vocal chords weaken and become drier. University of Iowa Voice Academy: How age changes your voice. It is true that as we age our voices change,” says Shah. “In my lab we look at acoustic data because perception can be misleading and the hard numbers confirm it. The vocal chords should vibrate between 90 and 230 times per minute, with young people experiencing the most movement and older people experiencing the least, explains Amee Shah, associate professor and director of the Research Laboratory in Speech Acoustics and Perception at Cleveland State University. A key move toward helping your son reconcile with his changing voice is giving him the. Evidence confirms that voices do change with age.