Electromyographic study of velopharynoeal function

Abstract

A proposed model of velopharyngeal function in speech, based on electromyngraphic (EMG) data from velopharyngeal musculature for open and close vowels, oral stops, and nasal stops, states that the levator palatini is the primary effect or of velopharyngeal port closure and that its activity for oral segments varies directly with oral cavity impedance [F. Bell-Berti, Ph.D. thesis, City University of New York (1973)]. An EMG study of the velopharyngeal musculature was conducted, to test the model. The experimental utterances included oral fricative sod frictionless continuant consonants in addition to the previously studied oral and nasal stop consonants. The model predicts that levator palatini EMG activity will be greatest for oral stop consonants, and will decrease through the series fricative consonants, frictionless consonants, high vowels, low vowels, sod that it will be lowest for nasal consonants, to facilitate nasal coupling. [Supported by NIDR grant DE 01774.]