Phonation Chapter 5 Flashcards
What is the primary function of the larynx?
Protective function. Aspiration is when a foreign object enters the lungs. It can be life threatening.
What are the protective mechanisms of the larynx?
Coughing - forcefully expels material from the respiratory passageway
Throat clearing - clears the respiratory tract of mucus, VF slamming together to expel whatever is on them
Abdominal fixation - air is captured in the thorax to stabilize the torso
Mechanics of the VF
Elasticity - property of material to return to its original shape
Stiffness - strength of forces within a given material that restore it to its original shape after being distended
Inertia - the property of mass. A body in motion tends to stay in motion…it takes energy to move and stop mass. Inertia is what keeps it going
what is frequency of vibration in a body governed by
Elasticity, stiffness and mass. As mass increases, the frequency of the vibration decreases
Larger vocal folds have lower frequency and pitch
How are cycles measured?
Hertz
what is a cycle in reference to frequency?
One cycle is the time it takes for the vibration to complete, and one cycle is the period
What muscles control a frequency and stretch the VF?
Cricothyroid muscles
How are amplitude and intensity related?
Intensity is the relative power of an acoustic signal that’s measured in decibels
Intensity equals loudness
Intensity is sound
the loudness of a signal is directly related to its intensity. As intensity increases, the sound is perceived to be louder.
What is loudness?
It is subjective and it’s the psychological sensation of intensity
Can be measured in dB
What is each cycle of the vocal folds vibration caused by
- Subglottal air pressure that has been built up sufficiently to separate the folds
- Bernoulli effect - as the air is rushed in through the glottis at an increased velocity , it accounts for that sudden drop in pressure against the inner sides of each fold and it sucks them together again.
Abduction and adduction of the VF
Abduction is the VF going apart, adduction is the VF coming together
What is vibration of the VF?
The tissue interacting with the air flow in absence of repetitive muscular contraction
What is the Bernoulli effect?
Given a constant VOLUME flow of air or fluid, at the point of constriction there will be a DECREASE in pressure perpendicular to the flow and an INCREASE in velocity of the flow
How does air flow through VF?
Sound comes from the lungs out, the low pressure created behind the fast moving air column produces that Bernoulli effect which causes the bottom of the vibrating layer of the VF to close, but the body of the VF stay in place as the column of air pressure continues to move upward
What is the mucosal wave?
Rapid ordered closing and opening produced by the column of air
What happens if one VF is not working?
The wave is not going to occur and there will be a deficit
What happens in the mucosal wave?
Lower edge opens first
Upper edge which lets air through
The air column that flows through creates that Bernoulli effect
This causes the lower edge to close as it escapes upwards
Escaping puffs of air are converted to sound
Which is then transformed into voice by the vocal tract resonators
What are the 2 basic laryngeal movements?
Medial compression
Longitudinal tension
These two adjustments plus the variable air supply accounts for the versatility of the human voice
what is medial compression
The force with which the vocal folds are brought together
What is longitudinal tension
Extent of the stretching force
Pre-phonation phase
An aspect of the onset of phonation, when the vocal folds move from an abducted position
Supported by intrinsic laryngeal muscles
Direct relationship by the extent of medial compression and magnitude of an air pressure required to force the vocal folds apart to initiate phonation
What are the 3 basic laryngeal adjustments necessary for phonation?
Attack
Sustained phonation
Termination
What is attack
Necessary to begin voicing. Beginning of the initiation of phonation
Occurs due to the Bernoulli principle and muscular processes
What is sustained phonation
To control the vibration
What is simultaneous vocal attack?
Abduction and the onset of respiration occurs simultaneously
Usually done when producing words with initial voicing