Vocal fold contact stress during phonation

Abstract

Investigations of the contact (or collision) stresses of the vocal folds during phonation may be helpful in order to understand and differentiate between normal-pathological-exceptional laryngeal behaviors. Empirical studies of contact stress can also be useful in testing computer simulation models of phonation. Tize and Talkin [Conference on the Assessment of Vocal Pathology, edited by C. Ludlow (1979)] predicted that onset of medial surface collision stress corresponded to onset of medial surface contact area, but that the contact stress should relax before contact area was zero. Similar conclusions were reported in a pilot study using a polyvinylidene flouride transducer [I. R. Titze and R. C. Soberer, Transcripts of the Ninth Symposium Care of the Professional Voice, edited by Van Lawrence (1981)]. The present study uses miniature pressure (strain-gauge) transducers implanted into excised bovine larynges. Advantages and disadvantages of the transducers will be discussed, and signals from various locations within the vocal fold will be compared to contact area signals obtained with an electroglottograph. [Work supported by NIH.]