SLP Praxis Review Flashcards on Anatomy, Neuroanatomy, and Physiology of the Speech Mechanism

These flashcards cover key concepts related to the anatomy, neuroanatomy, and physiology of the speech mechanism for the SLP Praxis exam.

Pharyngeal plexus

Innervates the upper pharyngeal constrictor muscles.

Commissural fibers

Neural pathways that connect corresponding areas of the left and right hemispheres, facilitating interhemispheric communication.

Resonation

The modification of the voice produced at the laryngeal level, due to the dynamics of the various supralaryngeal cavities and structures.

True or False:

Speech is typically produced on inhalation.

False

____________ and ___________ create the rhythmic cycle of respiration.

Inhalation; exhalation

Respiration

The exchange of gas between an organism and its environment

Mesencephalon

Another name for the midbrain

True or False:

The right lung has three lobes, whereas the left lung only has two.

True

The two main structures of the diencephalon

Thalamus, Hypothalamus

The lungs have a rich _________ supply and numerous ___________.

vascular; air sacs

Deeper valleys of the cerebral cortex

Fissures

Tubes that extend from the lungs upward to the trachea

Bronchi

A structure in the temporal lobe that is responsible for recalling information and storing long-term memories

Hippocampus

Damage to the vagus nerve can result in what three deficits?

A Difficulty swallowing

Paralysis of the velum (resulting in nasality issues)

Voice problems

The sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the ANS supply the body’s _____________ and various _____________ that secrete hormones.

Smooth muscles; glands

What are four functions of the CSF in the nervous system?

Nourishes the neural tissues

Removes waste products

Cushions the brain

Regulates intracranial pressure

Posteriorly, the palatine process of the maxilla articulates with the ___________ bone.

palatine

The parietal lobe integrates contralateral ________ sensations.

somatic

The motor neurons (efferent nerves) in the spinal and cranial nerves

Lower motor neurons

List five characteristics of healthy lungs.

Soft

Spongy

Porous

Elastic

Pink

True or False:

Motor movements are directly controlled in the basal ganglia.

False

Summarize, in order, the seven basic steps in the process of inhalation.

Inhalation

Chest and lungs expand

Diaphragm lowers

Air flows in through the nose and mouth

Air goes down the pharynx and between the open vocal folds

Air continues downward through the trachea and bronchial tubes

Air reaches final destination of the lungs

List six structures that the processes of inhalation, exhalation, and speaking require the support of.

Lungs

Bronchi

Trachea

Spinal column

Sternum

Rib cage

In the lungs the bronchi divide into ________, forming what is known as the bronchial tree.

Bronchioles

Create connections between the cortex and subcortical structures like the cerebellum, basal ganglia, brainstem, and spinal cord

Projection fibers

The bronchioles ultimately communicate with _______________ that open into tiny air sacs in the lungs.

alveolar ducts

Supplies blood to the muscles of the mouth, nose, forehead, and face

External carotid artery

A tube about 11 centimeters long formed by approximately 20 rings of cartilage

trachea

Lesions to the glossopharyngeal nerve may cause what three issues?

Difficulty in swallowing

Unilateral loss of the gag reflex

Loss of taste and sensation from the posterior third of the tongue

List the numbers and names of the five segments of the vertebrae of the spinal column.

7 cervical vertebrae

12 thoracic vertebrae

5 lumbar vertebrae

5 sacral vertebrae (fused in adults and called the sacrum)

3-4 coccygeal vertebrae (fused and called the coccyx)

Lesions to the hypoglossal nerve can result in what three deficits?

Tongue paralysis

Diminished intelligibility

Swallowing problems

Another name for the breastbone

Sternum

The central nervous system is composed of the ____________ and the _______.

Spinal cord; brain

List the three muscles of the neck involved in the process of respiration.

Sternocleidomastoid

Trapezius

Scalenes

The corticospinal tracts terminate in the ____________, while the corticobulbar tracts terminate in the ____________.

spinal cord; brainstem

List the four muscles of the shoulder and upper arm that act to move the rib cage and increase or decrease its dimensions.

Pectoralis major

Pectoralis minor

Serratus anterior

Levator scapulae

List the three parts of the sternum.

Manubrium

Corpus (body)

Xiphoid process

Why is the medulla very important for speech production?

It contains descending fibers that transmit motor information to several cranial nerve nuclei.

How many pairs of ribs does the rib cage consist of?

12

True or false: The basal ganglia are deep within the brain

True

The primary muscle of inspiration

diaphragm

Purkinje cells

Large neurons found in the cerebellum that are crucial in the regulation and coordination of motor movements

Muscle fibers insert into the ______ of the diaphragm and contract to pull it down and forward to expand the thoracic cavity.

central tendon

The four lobes of the cerebrum

Frontal

Parietal

Occipital

Temporal

The external intercostals and other inspiratory muscles perform a _______ to control the flow of air leaving the lungs during speech.

checking action

A term sometimes used in reference to the transverse convolutions that make up the auditory association cortex and primary auditory cortex

Herschl’s gyri

The vocal folds ______ (move toward the midline) and _______ (move away from the midline) as they vibrate.

adduct; adbduct

A neurological disorder called _______, is characterized impaired coordination, balance and movement due to cerebellar damage. It can be congenital or acquired through stroke, trauma, or neurodegenerative diseases

ataxia

The vocal folds are abducted when a person is breathing quietly.

True

The branch of the vagus nerve that supplies the pharyngeal constrictors and all the muscles of of the velum except the tensor veli patini.

Pharyngeal branch

The larynx is suspended from the U-shaped ______, which is superior to the larynx and does not articulate with any other bone.

hyoid bone

The hypoglossal nerve supplies all the extrinsic muscles expect for the ______ muscle.

palatoglossus

Another name for the medulla

Mylencephalon

What are the lowermost nerves of the spinal cord described as?

Cauda equina

What does the epiglottis do during swallowing?

It serves as a protective structure by dropping to cover the orifice of the larynx.

The parasympathetic branch of the ANS helps bring the body back to a state of _______.

relaxation

The largest laryngeal cartilage that forms the anterior and lateral walls of the larynx

Thyroid cartilage

Internally, what three structures does the brainstem consist of?

Longitudinal fiber tracts,

Cranial nerve nuclei

Reticular formation

The two processes of the arytenoid cartilages

Vocal process

Muscular process

Another name for the pons

Meteencephalon

The small, cone-shaped ______ sit on the apex of the arytenoids, and they assist in reducing the laryngeal opening when a person is swallowing.

corniculate

The primary mechanism of attention and consciousness

Reticular activating system (RAS)

The tiny cone-shaped ______ cartilages are located under the mucous membranes that covers the aryepiglottic folds.

cuneiform

The thalamus is critical for maintenance of _______ and _______.

consciousness; alertness

What are the intrinsic laryngeal muscles primarily responsible for?

Controlling sound production

The collective term for the three nuclear masses of the basal ganglia

Corpus striatum

List the six intrinsic muscles of the larynx

Thyroarytenoid, cricothyroid, lateral cricoarytenoid, posterior cricoarytenoid, transverse arytenoids, oblique arytenoid

The three primary fiber bundles that serve as connections between the brainstem and the cerebellum

Superior penduncle

Middle peduncle

Inferior peduncle

The cricothyroid lengthens and tenses the vocal folds, resulting in ______ change.

pitch

A ridge on the cerebral cortex

Gyrus

The internal thyroarytenoid muscle is commonly referred to as the _____.

vocal folds

A major fissure that runs laterally, downward, and forward, and arbitrarily divides the anterior from the posterior half of the brain

Fissure of Rolando (central sulcus)

The only intrinsic muscle of the larynx that abducts the vocal folds

Posterior cricoarytenoid

Controls voluntary movements of skeletal muscles on the opposite side of the body

Primary motor cortex (motor strip)

Other than the cricothyroid, all of the other intrinsic muscles of the larynx are innervated by what cranial nerve?

Recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) branch of CN X

True or False: The angular gyrus is located in the parietal lobe.

True