Lowered Vocal Ceiling

Lowered vocal ceiling is a type of vocal phenomenology most often seen in the perimenopausal voice. It may also be seen in cases of superior laryngeal nerve paralysis, or cricothyroid joint ankylosis. The individual with this problem may note that he or she cannot access some part of the upper part of the voice, anything from a few notes to an octave or more. As the individual approaches the ceiling of the voice, whether normal or lowered, one begins to hear muscular effort, and often a tendency for the voice to go flat against the person’s will.