scholarly journals Subglottal pressure, tracheal airflow, and intrinsic laryngeal muscle activity during rat ultrasound vocalization

2011 ◽  
Vol 106 (5) ◽  
pp. 2580-2592 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Riede

Vocal production requires complex planning and coordination of respiratory, laryngeal, and vocal tract movements, which are incompletely understood in most mammals. Rats produce a variety of whistles in the ultrasonic range that are of communicative relevance and of importance as a model system, but the sources of acoustic variability were mostly unknown. The goal was to identify sources of fundamental frequency variability. Subglottal pressure, tracheal airflow, and electromyographic (EMG) data from two intrinsic laryngeal muscles were measured during 22-kHz and 50-kHz call production in awake, spontaneously behaving adult male rats. During ultrasound vocalization, subglottal pressure ranged between 0.8 and 1.9 kPa. Pressure differences between call types were not significant. The relation between fundamental frequency and subglottal pressure within call types was inconsistent. Experimental manipulations of subglottal pressure had only small effects on fundamental frequency. Tracheal airflow patterns were also inconsistently associated with frequency. Pressure and flow seem to play a small role in regulation of fundamental frequency. Muscle activity, however, is precisely regulated and very sensitive to alterations, presumably because of effects on resonance properties in the vocal tract. EMG activity of cricothyroid and thyroarytenoid muscle was tonic in calls with slow or no fundamental frequency modulations, like 22-kHz and flat 50-kHz calls. Both muscles showed brief high-amplitude, alternating bursts at rates up to 150 Hz during production of frequency-modulated 50-kHz calls. A differentiated and fine regulation of intrinsic laryngeal muscles is critical for normal ultrasound vocalization. Many features of the laryngeal muscle activation pattern during ultrasound vocalization in rats are shared with other mammals.

1985 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Shipp ◽  
Krzysztof Izdebski ◽  
Charles Reed ◽  
Philip Morrissey

EMG activity from four intrinsic laryngeal muscles (thyroarytenoid, posterior cricoarytenoid, interarytenoid, and cricothyroid) was obtained from one female spastic dysphonia patient while she performed a variety of speech and nonspeech tasks. These tasks were performed before and during a period of temporary unilateral laryngeal muscle paralysis. In the nonparalyzed condition, adductory muscle activity showed intermittent sudden increases that coincided with momentary voice arrests. These muscle patterns and accompanying voice interruptions were not present either when speech was produced in falsetto register or at anytime during the paralysis condition. The data suggest that individuals with this type of spastic dysphonia have normal morphology of recurrent laryngeal nerves and intrinsic laryngeal muscles, which means that the triggering mechanism(s) for spastic dysphonia symptoms must be located at some point neurologically upstream from the larynx.


2008 ◽  
Vol 60 (6) ◽  
pp. 298-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Maria Laukkanen ◽  
Ingo R. Titze ◽  
Henry Hoffman ◽  
Eileen Finnegan

1992 ◽  
Vol 107 (5) ◽  
pp. 684-696 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junji Koda ◽  
Christy L. Ludlow

Eight patients with voice tremor were studied to characterize laryngeal muscle involvement. Electromyographic (EMG) recordings were made from intrinsic laryngeal muscles, simultaneously with some extrinsic laryngeal muscles, respiratory movement, and voice recordings during respiration, whisper, and phonation. Spectral measures were used to determine the tremor frequency and the prominence of spectral peaks in the EMG, respiratory and acoustic signals, while correlation coefficients were computed between pairs of tremulous EMG signals to measure the synchrony of tremor between muscles. The intrinsic laryngeal muscles were tremulous during respiration and speech, with the thyroarytenoid most often involved. Tremor was also detected in some of the extrinsic muscle recordings and the percentage of muscles with tremor was higher during phonation than during whisper or respiration. Time delays were found between tremor oscillations in laryngeal muscles. Because the thyroarytenoid was affected in all the patients studied, botulinum toxin injections may be beneficial in treatment of this voice disorder.


1969 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 616-628 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minoru Hirano ◽  
John Ohala ◽  
William Vennard

The activity of three intrinsic laryngeal muscles in the regulation of fundamental frequency and intensity of phonation was studied electromyographically in six subjects. The regulatory mechanism of fundamental frequency and intensity differed for different registers and fundamental frequencies. In general, the contribution of the laryngeal muscles in changing these parameters was greater in chest register than in falsetto and particularly less in high falsetto. There was no essential difference in the muscular activity patterns between singing in chest register and normal speech as far as control of these two aspects of voice is concerned.


2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 1395-1403
Author(s):  
Matti D. Groll ◽  
Victoria S. McKenna ◽  
Surbhi Hablani ◽  
Cara E. Stepp

Purpose The goal of this study was to explore the relationships among vocal effort, extrinsic laryngeal muscle activity, and vocal tract length (VTL) within healthy speakers. We hypothesized that increased vocal effort would result in increased suprahyoid muscle activation and decreased VTL, as previously observed in individuals with vocal hyperfunction. Method Twenty-eight healthy speakers of American English produced vowel–consonant–vowel utterances under varying levels of vocal effort. VTL was estimated from the vowel formants. Three surface electromyography sensors measured the activation of the suprahyoid and infrahyoid muscle groups. A general linear model was used to investigate the effects of vocal effort level and surface electromyography on VTL. Two additional general linear models were used to investigate the effects of vocal effort on suprahyoid and infrahyoid muscle activities. Results Neither vocal effort nor extrinsic muscle activity showed significant effects on VTL; however, the degree of extrinsic muscle activity of both suprahyoid and infrahyoid muscle groups increased with increases in vocal effort. Conclusion Increasing vocal effort resulted in increased activation of both suprahyoid and infrahyoid musculature in healthy adults, with no change to VTL.


2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 931-947
Author(s):  
Teresa L. D. Hardy ◽  
Carol A. Boliek ◽  
Daniel Aalto ◽  
Justin Lewicke ◽  
Kristopher Wells ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to identify a set of communication-based predictors (including both acoustic and gestural variables) of masculinity–femininity ratings and (b) to explore differences in ratings between audio and audiovisual presentation modes for transgender and cisgender communicators. Method The voices and gestures of a group of cisgender men and women ( n = 10 of each) and transgender women ( n = 20) communicators were recorded while they recounted the story of a cartoon using acoustic and motion capture recording systems. A total of 17 acoustic and gestural variables were measured from these recordings. A group of observers ( n = 20) rated each communicator's masculinity–femininity based on 30- to 45-s samples of the cartoon description presented in three modes: audio, visual, and audio visual. Visual and audiovisual stimuli contained point light displays standardized for size. Ratings were made using a direct magnitude estimation scale without modulus. Communication-based predictors of masculinity–femininity ratings were identified using multiple regression, and analysis of variance was used to determine the effect of presentation mode on perceptual ratings. Results Fundamental frequency, average vowel formant, and sound pressure level were identified as significant predictors of masculinity–femininity ratings for these communicators. Communicators were rated significantly more feminine in the audio than the audiovisual mode and unreliably in the visual-only mode. Conclusions Both study purposes were met. Results support continued emphasis on fundamental frequency and vocal tract resonance in voice and communication modification training with transgender individuals and provide evidence for the potential benefit of modifying sound pressure level, especially when a masculine presentation is desired.


2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (10) ◽  
pp. 3311-3325
Author(s):  
Brittany L. Perrine ◽  
Ronald C. Scherer

Purpose The goal of this study was to determine if differences in stress system activation lead to changes in speaking fundamental frequency, average oral airflow, and estimated subglottal pressure before and after an acute, psychosocial stressor. Method Eighteen vocally healthy adult females experienced the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) to activate the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. The TSST includes public speaking and performing mental arithmetic in front of an audience. At seven time points, three before the stressor and four after the stressor, the participants produced /pa/ repetitions, read the Rainbow Passage, and provided a saliva sample. Measures included (a) salivary cortisol level, (b) oral airflow, (c) estimated subglottal pressure, and (d) speaking fundamental frequency from the second sentence of the Rainbow Passage. Results Ten of the 18 participants experienced a hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis response to stress as indicated by a 2.5-nmol/L increase in salivary cortisol from before the TSST to after the TSST. Those who experienced a response to stress had a significantly higher speaking fundamental frequency before and immediately after the stressor than later after the stressor. No other variable varied significantly due to the stressor. Conclusions This study suggests that the idiosyncratic and inconsistent voice changes reported in the literature may be explained by differences in stress system activation. In addition, laryngeal aerodynamic measures appear resilient to changes due to acute stress. Further work is needed to examine the influence of other stress systems and if these findings hold for dysphonic individuals.


2002 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 92-96
Author(s):  
Tiina Ritvanen ◽  
Reijo Koskelo ◽  
Osmo H„nninen

Abstract This study follows muscle activity in three different learning sessions (computer, language laboratory, and normal classroom) while students were studying foreign languages. Myoelectric activity was measured in 21 high school students (10 girls, 11 boys, age range 17-20 years) by surface electromyography (sEMG) from the upper trapezius and frontalis muscles during three 45-min sessions. Root mean square (RMS) average from both investigated muscles was calculated. The EMG activity was highest in both muscle groups in the computer-aided session and lowest in the language laboratory. The girls had higher EMG activity in both investigated muscle groups in all three learning situations. The measured blood pressure was highest at the beginning of the sessions, decreased within 10 min, but increased again toward the end of the sessions. Our results indicate that the use of a computer as a teaching-aid evokes more constant muscle activity than the traditional learning situations. Since muscle tension can have adverse health consequences, more research is needed to determine optimal classroom conditions, especially when technical aids are used in teaching.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 69
Author(s):  
Natalia Merkulyeva ◽  
Vsevolod Lyakhovetskii ◽  
Aleksandr Veshchitskii ◽  
Oleg Gorskii ◽  
Pavel Musienko

The optimization of multisystem neurorehabilitation protocols including electrical spinal cord stimulation and multi-directional tasks training require understanding of underlying circuits mechanisms and distribution of the neuronal network over the spinal cord. In this study we compared the locomotor activity during forward and backward stepping in eighteen adult decerebrated cats. Interneuronal spinal networks responsible for forward and backward stepping were visualized using the C-Fos technique. A bi-modal rostrocaudal distribution of C-Fos-immunopositive neurons over the lumbosacral spinal cord (peaks in the L4/L5 and L6/S1 segments) was revealed. These patterns were compared with motoneuronal pools using Vanderhorst and Holstege scheme; the location of the first peak was correspondent to the motoneurons of the hip flexors and knee extensors, an inter-peak drop was presumably attributed to the motoneurons controlling the adductor muscles. Both were better expressed in cats stepping forward and in parallel, electromyographic (EMG) activity of the hip flexor and knee extensors was higher, while EMG activity of the adductor was lower, during this locomotor mode. On the basis of the present data, which showed greater activity of the adductor muscles and the attributed interneuronal spinal network during backward stepping and according with data about greater demands on postural control systems during backward locomotion, we suppose that the locomotor networks for movements in opposite directions are at least partially different.


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