Social isolation alters ultrasonic vocalizations but not thyroarytenoid neuromuscular junctions in old rats

Objective Age‐related muscle atrophy of the laryngeal muscles contributes to presbyphonia. Remodeling of the neuromuscular junction is one aspect underlying age‐related muscle atrophy. Although muscle disuse has been shown to exacerbate age‐related neuromuscular changes in the limb muscles, it is unknown if reduced vocal use has a similar effect in the laryngeal muscles. The objective of this study was to examine the use of social isolation as a novel method to reduce vocal use in old rats—and the impact of that reduced vocal use on ultrasonic vocalization acoustics and neuromuscular junction morphology in the thyroarytenoid muscle. Study Design Animal group comparison. Methods Old F344/BN rats (31 months of age) were socially isolated (n = 8) or communally housed (n = 8) for 8 weeks. Effect of housing condition on ultrasonic vocalization acoustics was assessed by calculating the changes in vocalization fundamental frequency and amplitude from baseline to 8 weeks. Neuromuscular junction morphology was measured in the lateral and medial portions of the thyroarytenoid muscle at the conclusion of the experiment. Results Vocalization amplitude decreased by a mean of −4.4 dB (standard deviation [SD], 4.49) after social isolation, whereas amplitude increased by a mean of 5.7 dB (SD, 5.07) in the communally housed rats ( P  = 0.002). There was no significant difference in the change in fundamental frequency between groups. Furthermore, there were no group differences in any measure of neuromuscular junction morphology. Conclusion These results suggest that neuromuscular junctions in the thyroarytenoid muscle of old rats are unaffected by 8 weeks of social isolation, despite functional changes in vocalizations. Level of Evidence NA Laryngoscope , 129:E9–E14, 2019