Chapter 5 Flashcards
What is the biological function of the larynx?
Breathing, coughing/throat clearing, abdominal fixation, swallowing protection
How big are the vocal folds while breathing?
Size of a dime
How many mm is the abduction of the VF for quiet breathing in adults?
8 mm
How many mm is the abduction of the VF for forced respiration in adults?
16 mm
Do we breathe automatically?
Yes, but we do have some control
What is the main tissue that controls the VF?
Arytenoids
What number is the vagus nerve?
10 (called the wanderer)
Where does the vagus nerve sit in the body?
It goes from the intestines to the brainstem
What the the steps of phonation in the VF that the vagus nerve controls?
- deep inhalation through wide abduction of the VF
- vocal fold tensing to create tight adduction of the VF
- Larynx elevates
- increase in positive sub glottal pressure from tissue recoil and muscles of expiration
- high pressure blows the VF apart forcefully
What is the vagus nerves job?
The vagus nerve is a sensory branch along the respiratory tract that triggers the mechanical response of the vocal folds
What are the main muscles used for coughing?
Adduction & Glottal Tensors
What the the muscles of adduction?
Transverse & oblique arytenoids, lateral cricoarytenoids (around the top/sides of the VF)
What are the muscles of glottal tensors?
Cricothyroid muscles, thyrovocalis (medial thyroarytenoids) - around the sides of the VF
What can go wrong w the cough or ability to clear the throat?
To much tension/too often or too little tension
What happens where there is too much tension with coughing?
There is a strain on the VF, vocal nodules form, and vocal abuse (swelling, rubbing, irritation)
What happens where there is too little tension with coughing?
Ineffective cough (losing strength of the muscles which causes swallowing problems)
What is abdominal fixation?
capturing air within the thorax to provide the muscles with a structure on which to push or pull
What is the valsalva maneuver?
Take a large inspiratory breath, tighten the adduction of the VF, results in the thorax becoming a rigid frame from which forces of lifting are transferred to the legs
Does valsalva maneuver slow down the HR?
Yes
What are 3 ways that our body protects our airway while swallowing?
Larynx elevates (up and forward), epiglottis folds down to cover entrance of larynx, aryepolottic folds tense which adduct the VF
How does the voice work?
The vocal folds move into the airstream and create vibration
Vibration
Movement possible by elasticity, stiffness, and inertia
Elasticity
Ability to return to original state after being displaced
Stiffness
Strength of elasticity after being displaced
Inertia
Property that causes a body in motion to stay in motion
Pitch
Tone produced by vibration
The Bernoulli Effect
Crucial for phonation because it helps regulate the vibration of the VF (helps them stay in motion) and it all about how air pressure influences voice production
What is the process of the Bernoulli effect?
When air is pushed from the lungs through the trachea and into the larynx it has to pass through a constricted area between the VF–> as the speech of airflow increases in this constricted area the pressure decreases causing the VF to draw together. When airflow builds up enough pressure below the VF they are pushed apart
Decreased pressure means what for velocity?
Increased velocity
If the glottis is closed what is the subglottal pressure?
+ (high)
If the glottis is open what is the subglottal pressure?
- (low)
Frequency
How many repetitive cycles of vibration per second (Hz)
Intensity
Loudness and amplitude of the waveform (dB)
What is vocal attack?
The start of phonation by moving the VF into the airstream
Sustained phonation
Holding the VF in the air stream for vibration (holding a sound out)
Termination of phonation
Abducting the VF to stop phonation
What are the 3 types of vocal attack?
Simultaneous, Breathy, Glottal
Simultaneous Vocal Attack
Adduction + onset of respiration (same time)
Breathy Vocal Attack
Airflow comes before adducting the VF
Glottal Attack
Hard attack. Adduction of the VF comes before the onset of respiration
Vocal register
A mode of VF vibration during speech
Modal voice (register)
The pattern of phonation used in daily conversation
Glottal fry
Pule register- low pitch, rough sounding
Falsetto
Highest register of phonation (singing)
Whispering
Non phonatory and there is no vibration in the VF. There is still a lot of tension in the larynx
Vocal pitch/freq is determined by?
Vocal fold mass/length, tension, and elastic qualities
Vocal pitch/freq is controlled by?
Movement of arytenoid cartilages
Optimal pitch
The frequency of VF vibration that is most appropriate for a specific individual (safest to use)
Habitual pitch
The frequency of VF vibration that is typically used by an individual
Average Fundamental Freq
Habitual pitch over a longer sustained period of speech production
Pitch range
The range of fundamental frequency for an individual
Intensity is all about?
Airflow (loudness)
How do you increase in vocal intensity?
increase airflow and increase strength of VF
How do you decrease in vocal intensity?
decrease air flow and less strength of VF
What is prosody?
the sing/song like quality of speech that involved intonation and stress
Intonation
Changes in pitch during speech
Stress
Syllable or word emphasis relative to an utterance
Aphonia
Complete loss of voice
Dysphonia
Reduction in vocal function
Paralysis
Complete loss of function
Paresis
Partial loss of muscle function
Edema
Swelling of voice box
Laryngeal Trauma
Fights, car accidents
Neoplasm
New tissue that doesn’t belong
Cancer
Malignant tissue
Vocal nodules
Callous like mass from vocal abuse
Contact ulcers
Granular tissue scars (hasn’t progressed to nodules yet)
Vocal polyps
Blisters on VF (Smoking, reinkes edema)
Hemangioma
Blood-filled sacs on/near VF
