Exam 2 Speech and Hearing

Why do we need an enormous amount of surface area to breathe?

The bigger the surface area, the more space there is for oxygen to move into the blood and for carbon dioxide to leave.

which two joints are the main agents of F0 regulation in the human voice!

cricothyroid and cricoartenioid

Describe the right lungs

has 3 lobes

describe the left lungs

2 lobes to make room for the heart.

The rib cage and the diaphragm make up the

thoracic cavity

What happens when the diaphragm contracts?

The volume of the cavity increases while the pressure decreases.

What happens with the diaphragam relaxes?

The volume decreases while the pressure increases.

The central portion of the diaphragm is composed of a flat sheet of tendon called the

central tendon.

What is pleural linkage

It is the connection between the lungs and the chest cavity (thorax). Due to the lungs having hardly any muscle, it acts as an external force meaning it influences a state of motion from the outside.

What is the purpose of the pleural linkage?

This allows the structures of the thorax to aid the lungs in inspirate and expirating.

What is the pleural space

The space between the two layers of tissues, parietal and visceral that surronds the lungs.

Why do scuba divers have to worry about decompression sickness

When scuba divers descend, their body absorbs extra nitrogen from the breathing gas under pressure. If they ascend/decrease pressure too quickly, the nitrogen can form bubbles in their blood and tissues.

Tidal volume (TV)

Volume of air inhaled and exhaled during a cycle of respiration

Inspiratory reserve volume (IRV)

Volume of air that can be inhaled above tidal volume

Expiratory reserve volume (ERV)

Volume of air that can be exhaled below tidal volume

Residual volume (RV)

Volume of air remaining in the lungs after a maximum expiration and that cannot be voluntarily expelled

Total lung capacity (TLC)

total amount of air the lungs can hold

Functional residual capacity (FRC)

volume of air remaining in the lungs and airways at the end-expiratory level.

Vital capacity (VC)

The volume of air that can be exhaled after a maximum inhalation.

Inspiratory capacity (IC)

maximum amount of air that can be inspired from the end-expiratory level.

Which lung capacity is most important for speech?

Vital capacity. Speech is generally produced on exhaled air.

Normal adult quiet breathing

10% of VC

For conversational speech, speakers use

20-25%

How does breathing for speech change over our lifespan?

Infants: Breathing is automatic and mostly for survival, not for talking

Children: Learn to control breath to string words and sentences together

Adults: Have the strongest and most efficient breath support for smooth, long speech

Older Adults: Lung strength and muscle control decrease, so they may take more breaths, use shorter phrases, and have less power in their voice.

How are the lungs able to expand if they contain very little muscle?

External force

This is generated through the structure and linkage of the lungs and thorax, called pleural linkage

larynegal cartilages

Thyroid, Cricoid, Epiglottis, Arytenoid, Corniculate, Cuneiform

Paired cartilages

Corniculate, Arytenoid, Cuneiform

Unpaired Cartilages

Thyroid, Epiglosttis, Cricoid

Which membrane suspends the larynx from the hyoid bone

thyrohyoid membrance 

What is the anterior commissure

The vocal folds are attached to the inner surface of the thyroid, below the thyroid notch, at a fibrous structure called the

Why are the arytenoid cartilages considered the “most important” paired cartilages?

Important role in phonation. Two projections extend from their base; The elastic vocal process and the muscular process; they are essential for controlling the vocal folds, which are crucial for producing voice and protecting the airway

Vocal process

projects anteriorly

muscular process

projects laterally and posteriorly

What is the primary function of the cuneiform cartilages?

to stiffen the aryepiglottic folds

What is the resting position of the epiglottis?

upright or vertically

two joints of the larynx

Cricoarytenoid and Cricothyroid

Cricothyroid Joint

stretches and increase the tension of the vocal folds. used to raise the pitch of the voice

Cricoarytenoid Joints

Used for adduction and abduction of the vocal folds.

Adduction

Vocal folds brought together

Abduction

Vocal folds seperated

List the three valves within the larynx.

Aryepiglottic Folds, False (ventricular) Vocal Folds, True Vocal Folds

Aryepiglottic Folds

Most superior of the folds;

Sheets of connective tissue and muscle fibers contract in a circular or sphincteric action to pull the epiglottis backward and to close the entrance of the larynx during swallowing.

False Vocal Folds

inferior to the aryepiglottic folds and superior and parallel to the true vocal folds.

Close during swallowing; remain open during phonation, closing only under pathological conditions

True Vocal folds

consisting of 5 layers; (3 layers of Lamina Propria), a layer of epithelium covering the mucous membrane, and thyroarytenoid muscle.

breathing for life

•  Usually, an unconscious automatic process

• You don’t have to think about how many breaths you are taking

•  The rate at which you are breathing is determined by what you are doing at the moment

  • Ex: Sitting down – breathing rate is slow and steady

  • Ex. Running – increased breathing rate

• Inhalation and exhalation will typically be through the nose

breathing for speech

•   Active and controlled process – have to be intentional with your breathing

• Taking breaths at the grammatically appropriate places so that your speech will be able to flow nicely

• Need to be able to exhale the right amount to be able to say more than a few syllables in one breath

• Inhalation and exhalation will be through the nose and mouth

• Inhalation for speech will be shorter and faster

• Exhalation for speech will be longer and more controlled

1st layer of the true vocal folds

Epithelium (Squamous epithelium)

Epithelium (Squamous epithelium) function

• Outermost layer of the vocal folds

• Extremely thin and flexible, but tough layer of tissue

2nd layer of vocal folds

Superficial lamina propria

Superficial lamina propria function

• Also known as Reinke’s space

• The jelly-like superficial layer beneath the lining of the vocal fold

• Composed of elastic fibers and fluid, giving it a high degree of compliance

3rd layer of the true vocal folds

Intermediate lamina propria

Intermediate lamina propria function

• Composed of elastic fibers as well as some collagen fibers

• Less compliant than the superficial layer

Fourth layer of the true vocal folds

Deep lamina propria

Deep lamina propria function

• Made up of collagen fibers 

• Less compliant than the intermediate layer

5th layer of the true vocal folds

Thyroarytenoid Muscle

Thyroarytenoid Muscle function

• Final structure of the vocal folds

• The main mass of the vocal folds is thicker and denser

• The least compliant of the layer

parietal pleura

layer of membrane covering the inner surface of the thorax.

visceral pleura

thin sheet of membrane covering the lungs

What two groups are the extrinsic muscles divided into?

Infrahyoid and Suprahyoid

Infrahyoid muscles function

external point of attachment at structures below the hyoid bone, including the sternum and scapula

Suprahyoid muscles function

external point of attachment to structure above the hyoid bone, including the mandible and temporal bone

Explain the myoelastic-aerodynamic theory of phonation.

vocal fold vibration as a cyclical process where myoelastic forces from the elastic tissues and muscles of the vocal folds and aerodynamic forces from the airflow work together. 

What is jitter?

Pitch: The timing variability between cycles of vibration.

What is shimmer?

the variability in amplitude (loudness) during vocal fold vibration.

what is shimmer also known as

Amplitude Perturbation

hyperadducted vocal folds

Vocal folds that are adducted too tightly

Voice will sound tense and pressed

Hypoadducted

• Vocal folds that do not adduct as tightly

• Voice will sound more noisy and breathy

vocal registers.

pulse, modal, falsetto

Pulse

also known as vocal fry, glottal fry, or creaky voice refers to a very low F0.

Modal

most commonly used in normal conversational speech.

Falsetto

very high range of F0.

What is dysphonia?

Change in the quality of your voice.

a hoarse or otherwise abnormal voice.

what is the Suprahyoid and Infrahyoid important for 

swallowing

Epiglottis is shaped like a

leave

What causes subglottal air pressure to build up for it to burst to make sound

medial compression of vocal folds