Preliminaries to the body-cover theory of pitch control

Abstract

Preliminary theoretical and empirical work suggest that increased thyroarytenoid muscle activity may either increase or decrease fundamental frequency, depending on cricothyroid muscle activity and a new cross-sectional area parameter. This parameter is defined as the ratio of muscular tissue in vibration to total tissue in vibration. Canine laryngeal nerves were stimulated to measure vocal-fold length changes. These data, combined with previously reported tissue density, passive stress, and passive frequency data, were used to construct a set of curves predicting canine fundamental frequency from thyroarytenoid and cricothyroid muscle activity and the area ratio. The results suggest that high cricothyroid muscle activity and small area ratios tend to cause fundamental frequency lowering with increased thyroarytenoid muscle activity. Preliminary theoretical and empirical work suggest that increased thyroarytenoid muscle activity may either increase or decrease fundamental frequency, depending on cricothyroid muscle activity and a new cross-sectional area parameter. This parameter is defined as the ratio of muscular tissue in vibration to total tissue in vibration. Canine laryngeal nerves were stimulated to measure vocal-fold length changes. These data, combined with previously reported tissue density, passive stress, and passive frequency data, were used to construct a set of curves predicting canine fundamental frequency from thyroarytenoid and cricothyroid muscle activity and the area ratio. The results suggest that high cricothyroid muscle activity and small area ratios tend to cause fundamental frequency lowering with increased thyroarytenoid muscle activity.