Vocal‐tract responses to unexpected, suddenly induced decreases in intraoral air pressure

Joseph S. Perkell; Thomas Gay

doi:10.1121/1.2003457

Relationship of Lingual and Intraoral Air Pressures during Syllable Production

Journal of Speech and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/jshr.1601.141 ◽

1973 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 141-151 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

W. S. Brown ◽

Robert E. McGlone ◽

William R. Proffit

Keyword(s):

Vocal Tract ◽

Stop Consonant ◽

Air Pressure ◽

Tongue Pressure ◽

Maxillary Molars ◽

Constant Rate ◽

Intensity Changes ◽

Tongue Movements ◽

Intraoral Air Pressure ◽

Relationship Of

The production of many consonant sounds requires a buildup of air pressure within die oral cavity. This buildup often results from resistance to air flow created in the vocal tract by tongue movements. This study investigated the relationship of tongue pressure to intraoral air pressure. Four male speakers repeated VCV syllables containing /t/, /d/, and /n/ combined with /i/, /α/, and /u/. Each combination was repeated at a constant rate at three intensity levels. Air-pressure variations associated with the consonants were recorded from the oral-pharyngeal region while tongue pressures were recorded from behind the maxillary central incisors and above the left and right maxillary molars. The results show that for stop-consonant production, air pressures and lateral tongue pressures vary in parallel manner, whereas tongue tip pressures appear to act independently of both air and side tongue pressures. Vocal intensity changes are an exception to this in that both intraoral air and tongue pressures increased as intensity increased, the greatest change occurring for tongue tip pressures.

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Relationship between Intraoral Air Pressure and Vocal Intensity in Children and Adults

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/jshr.2901.71 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 29 (1) ◽

pp. 71-74 ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

Elaine T. Stathopoulos

Keyword(s):

Sound Pressure ◽

Vocal Tract ◽

Pressure Level ◽

Air Pressure ◽

Intensity Level ◽

Connected Speech ◽

Male And Female ◽

Age Related ◽

Vocal Intensity ◽

Intraoral Air Pressure

Intraoral air pressure (P 0 ) varies as a function of age. Specifically, children produce significantly higher P 0 values than adults. The higher P 0 produced by children has been discussed in relation to age-related volumetric differences of the subglottal and vocal tract, to lung compression differences, and to the fact that children's "comfortable" speaking level might exceed that of adults. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the hypothesis that children (vs. adults) and women (vs. men) produce higher P 0 values when sound pressure level (SPL) is held constant. Measurements were made of P 0 generated by children and adults during a connected speech task completed at three intensity levels. The findings of the study indicated that (a) peak P 0 values increased as vocal intensity increased for all subject groups, (b) peak P 0 values were higher for voiceless stops than for voiced stops, and (c) peak P 0 values were not significantly different for adults than for children or for men than for women. These results were interpreted to show that despite physical and physiological differences between male and female, and between adult and child vocal tracts, all groups use the same P 0 mechanism for achieving a given vocal intensity level.

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Air Pressure Responses to Sudden Vocal Tract Pressure Bleeds During Production of Stop Consonants

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/1092-4388(2004/059) ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 47 (4) ◽

pp. 784-801 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

David J. Zajac ◽

Mark C. Weissler

Keyword(s):

Vocal Tract ◽

Linear Trend ◽

Upper Airway ◽

Air Pressure ◽

Stop Consonants ◽

Oral Pressure ◽

The Face ◽

Computer Controlled ◽

Linear Manner ◽

Respiratory Reflexes

Two studies were conducted to evaluate short-latency vocal tract air pressure responses to sudden pressure bleeds during production of voiceless bilabial stop consonants. It was hypothesized that the occurrence of respiratory reflexes would be indicated by distinct patterns of responses as a function of bleed magnitude. In Study 1, 19 adults produced syllable trains of /pʌ/ using a mouthpiece coupled to a computer-controlled perturbator. The device randomly created bleed apertures that ranged from 0 to 40 mm 2 during production of the 2nd or 4th syllable of an utterance. Although peak oral air pressure dropped in a linear manner across bleed apertures, it averaged 2 to 3 cm H 2 O at the largest bleed. While slope of oral pressure also decreased in a linear trend, duration of the oral pressure pulse remained relatively constant. The patterns suggest that respiratory reflexes, if present, have little effect on oral air pressure levels. In Study 2, both oral and subglottal air pressure responses were monitored in 2 adults while bleed apertures of 20 and 40 mm 2 were randomly created. For 1 participant, peak oral air pressure dropped across bleed apertures, as in Study 1. Subglottal air pressure and slope, however, remained relatively stable. These patterns provide some support for the occurrence of respiratory reflexes to regulate subglottal air pressure. Overall, the studies indicate that the inherent physiologic processes of the respiratory system, which may involve reflexes, and passive aeromechanical resistance of the upper airway are capable of developing oral air pressure in the face of substantial pressure bleeds. Implications for understanding speech production and the characteristics of individuals with velopharyngeal dysfunction are discussed. KEY WORDS: stop consonants, oral air pressure, subglottal air pressure, respiratory reflexes, velopharyngeal dysfunction

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Correlates of Turbulent Noise Production for Speech

Journal of Speech and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/jshr.1001.133 ◽

1967 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 133-140 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Thomas J. Hixon ◽

Fred D. Minifie ◽

Charles A. Tait

Keyword(s):

Sound Pressure Level ◽

Sound Pressure ◽

Power Laws ◽

Pressure Level ◽

Air Pressure ◽

Voice Production ◽

Volume Rate ◽

Intraoral Air Pressure ◽

Noise Production ◽

Parameters Of Interest

Intraoral air pressure, volume rate of airflow, and sound pressure level were measured during /∫/ and /s/ productions of two speakers. In addition numerical estimates of the loudness of the productions were made by each speaker and by a group of judges. The power laws governing the relations among the parameters of interest are discussed and the results are compared with available data on voice production.

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Levator Veli Palatini Muscle Activity in Relation to Intraoral Air Pressure Variation in Cleft Palate Subjects

The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal ◽

10.1597/1545-1569_1995_032_0376_lvpmai_2.3.co_2 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 32 (5) ◽

pp. 376-381 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

David P. Kuehn ◽

Jerald B. Moon

Keyword(s):

Cleft Palate ◽

Air Pressure ◽

Levator Muscle ◽

Emg Activity ◽

High Activation ◽

Levator Veli Palatini ◽

Activation Level ◽

High Activation Level ◽

Intraoral Air Pressure ◽

Total Activation

A comparison of the ranges of levator veli palatini EMG activity for speech versus a nonspeech task for subjects with cleft palate was the focus of this study. EMG values are also compared with subjects without cleft palate obtained in a previous study. Hooked-wire electrodes were inserted into the levator muscle of five adult subjects with cleft palate exhibiting mild hypernasality. Intraoral air pressure was measured concurrently. A blowing task was used to determine the subject's operating range for the levator muscle. Both the nonspeech and speech tasks were designed to sample the widest possible ranges of levator EMG activity. It was found that the subjects with cleft palate used a relatively high activation level for the levator muscle during speech, in relation to their total activation range, compared with the subjects without cleft palate. Implications are discussed In relation to possible anatomic and physiologic differences for cleft palate subjects compared to normal.

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