Voice changes in old age will become an important health issue in the foreseeable future. Affected patients suffer from highly hoarse, unstressable voices and tend to social withdrawal and isolation. To treat the age-related voice, we are conducting experiments using electrical stimulation of the affected nerve ("recurrent nerve"). This approach is intended to clarify the extent to which it is possible to reverse age-related changes such as bsw. atrophy of the laryngeal muscles.
The application of these findings should help to keep patients longer in working life and improve their participation in social life.