The Effects of Vertical Laryngeal Movements on the Vocal Folds

후두 수직운동이 성대에 미치는 영향

In spite of the presumed importance of the strap muscles on laryngeal valving and speech production, there is little research concerning the physiological role and the functional differences among the strap muscles. Generally, the strap muscles have been shown to cause a decrease in the fundamental frequency(Fo) of phonation during contraction. In this study, an in vivo canine laryngeal model was used to show the effects of strap muscles on the laryngeal function by measuring the Fo, subglottal pressure, vocal intensity, vocal fold length, cricothyroid distance, and vertical laryngeal movement. Results demonstrated that the contraction of sternohyoid and sternothyroid muscles corresponded to a rise in subglottal pressure, shortened cricothyroid distance, lengthened vocal fold, and raised Fo and vocal intensity. The thyrohyoid muscle corresponded to lowered subglottal pressure, widened cricothyroid distance, shortened vocal fold, and lowered Fo and vocal intensity. It was postulated that the mechanism of altering Fa and other variables after stimulation of the strap muscles is due to the effects of laryngotracheal pulling, upward or downward, and laryngotracheal forward bending, by the external forces during strap muscle contraction.