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Jiang W, Geng B, Zheng X, Xue Q. A computational study of the influence of thyroarytenoid and cricothyroid muscle interaction on vocal fold dynamics in an MRI-based human laryngeal model. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 2024:10.1007/s10237-024-01869-9. [PMID: 38981946 DOI: 10.1007/s10237-024-01869-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
A human laryngeal model, incorporating all the cartilages and the intrinsic muscles, was reconstructed based on MRI data. The vocal fold was represented as a multilayer structure with detailed inner components. The activation levels of the thyroarytenoid (TA) and cricothyroid (CT) muscles were systematically varied from zero to full activation allowing for the analysis of their interaction and influence on vocal fold dynamics and glottal flow. The finite element method was employed to calculate the vocal fold dynamics, while the one-dimensional Bernoulli equation was utilized to calculate the glottal flow. The analysis was focused on the muscle influence on the fundamental frequency (fo). We found that while CT and TA activation increased the fo in most of the conditions, TA activation resulted in a frequency drop when it was moderately activated. We show that this frequency drop was associated with the sudden increase of the vertical motion when the vibration transited from involving the whole tissue to mainly in the cover layer. The transition of the vibration pattern was caused by the increased body-cover stiffness ratio that resulted from TA activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weili Jiang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kate Gleason College of Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Biao Geng
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kate Gleason College of Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Xudong Zheng
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kate Gleason College of Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Qian Xue
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kate Gleason College of Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, USA.
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Parra J, Calvache C, Alzamendi G, Ibarra E, Soláque L, Peterson SD, Zañartu M. Asymmetric triangular body-cover model of the VFs with bilateral intrinsic muscle activation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.18.585590. [PMID: 38562893 PMCID: PMC10983898 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.18.585590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Many voice disorders are linked to imbalanced muscle activity and known to exhibit asymmetric vocal fold vibration. However, the relation between imbalanced muscle activation and asymmetric vocal fold vibration is not well understood. This study introduces an asymmetric triangular body-cover model of the vocal folds, controlled by the activation of intrinsic laryngeal muscles, to investigate the effects of muscle imbalance on vocal fold oscillation. Various scenarios were considered, encompassing imbalance in individual muscles and muscle pairs, as well as accounting for asymmetry in lumped element parameters. The results highlight the antagonistic effect between the thyroarytenoid and cricothyroid muscles on the elastic and mass components of the vocal folds, as well as the impact on the vocal process from the imbalance in the lateral cricoarytenoid and interarytenoid adductor muscles. Measurements of amplitude and phase asymmetry were employed to emulate the oscillatory behavior of two pathological cases: unilateral paralysis and muscle tension dysphonia. The resulting simulations exhibit muscle imbalance consistent with expectations in the composition of these voice disorders, yielding asymmetries exceeding 30% for paralysis and below 5% for dysphonia. This underscores the versatility of muscle imbalance in representing phonatory scenarios and its potential for characterizing asymmetry in vocal fold vibration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Parra
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa Maria, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Carlos Calvache
- Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Universidad Militar, Bogotá, Colombia
- Department Communication Sciences and Disorders, Corporación Universitaria Iberoamericana, Bogotá, Colombia
- Vocology Center, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Gabriel Alzamendi
- Institute for Research and Development on Bioengineering and Bioinformatics (IBB), CONICET-UNER, Oro Verde, Entre Ríos 3100, Argentina
- Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos, Entre Ríos, Argentina
| | - Emiro Ibarra
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa Maria, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Leonardo Soláque
- Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Universidad Militar, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Sean D Peterson
- Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Matías Zañartu
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa Maria, Valparaíso, Chile
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Serry MA, Alzamendi GA, Zañartu M, Peterson SD. An Euler-Bernoulli-type beam model of the vocal folds for describing curved and incomplete glottal closure patterns. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2023; 147:106130. [PMID: 37774440 PMCID: PMC10787517 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2023.106130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Incomplete glottal closure is a laryngeal configuration wherein the glottis is not fully obstructed prior to phonation. It has been linked to inefficient voice production and voice disorders. Various incomplete glottal closure patterns can arise and the mechanisms driving them are not well understood. In this work, we introduce an Euler-Bernoulli composite beam vocal fold (VF) model that produces qualitatively similar incomplete glottal closure patterns as those observed in experimental and high-fidelity numerical studies, thus offering insights into the potential underlying physical mechanisms. Refined physiological insights are pursued by incorporating the beam model into a VF posturing model that embeds the five intrinsic laryngeal muscles. Analysis of the combined model shows that co-activating the lateral cricoarytenoid (LCA) and interarytenoid (IA) muscles without activating the thyroarytenoid (TA) muscle results in a bowed (convex) VF geometry with closure at the posterior margin only; this is primarily attributed to the reactive moments at the anterior VF margin. This bowed pattern can also arise during VF compression (due to extrinsic laryngeal muscle activation for example), wherein the internal moment induced passively by the TA muscle tissue is the predominant mechanism. On the other hand, activating the TA muscle without incorporating other adductory muscles results in anterior and mid-membranous glottal closure, a concave VF geometry, and a posterior glottal opening driven by internal moments induced by TA muscle activation. In the case of initial full glottal closure, the posterior cricoarytenoid (PCA) muscle activation cancels the adductory effects of the LCA and IA muscles, resulting in a concave VF geometry and posterior glottal opening. Furthermore, certain maneuvers involving co-activation of all adductory muscles result in an hourglass glottal shape due to a reactive moment at the anterior VF margin and moderate internal moment induced by TA muscle activation. These findings have implications regarding potential laryngeal maneuvers in patients with voice disorders involving imbalances or excessive tension in the laryngeal muscles such as muscle tension dysphonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed A Serry
- Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Gabriel A Alzamendi
- Institute for Research and Development on Bioengineering and Bioinformatics (IBB), CONICET-UNER, Oro Verde, Entre Ríos 3100, Argentina
| | - Matías Zañartu
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Sean D Peterson
- Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
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Serry MA, Alzamendi GA, Zañartu M, Peterson SD. Modeling the influence of the extrinsic musculature on phonation. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 2023; 22:1365-1378. [PMID: 37169957 PMCID: PMC10529543 DOI: 10.1007/s10237-023-01724-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Neck muscles play important roles in various physiological tasks, including swallowing, head stabilization, and phonation. The mechanisms by which neck muscles influence phonation are not well understood, with conflicting reports on the change in fundamental frequency for ostensibly the same neck muscle activation scenarios. In this work, we introduce a reduced-order muscle-controlled vocal fold model, comprising both intrinsic muscle control and extrinsic muscle effects. The model predicts that when the neck muscles pull the thyroid cartilage in the superior-anterior direction (with a sufficiently large anterior component), inferior direction, or inferior-anterior direction, tension in the vocal folds increases, leading to fundamental frequency rise during sustained phonation. On the other hand, pulling in the superior direction, superior-posterior direction, or inferior-posterior direction (with a sufficiently large posterior component) tends to decrease vocal fold tension and phonation fundamental frequency. Varying the pulling force location alters the posture and phonation biomechanics, depending on the force direction. These findings suggest potential roles of particular neck muscles in modulating phonation fundamental frequency, with implications for vocal hyperfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed A Serry
- Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Gabriel A Alzamendi
- Institute for Research and Development on Bioengineering and Bioinformatics (IBB), CONICET-UNER, Oro Verde, Entre Ríos, 3100, Argentina
| | - Matías Zañartu
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Sean D Peterson
- Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada.
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Serry MA, Alzamendi GA, Zañartu M, Peterson SD. An Euler-Bernoulli-Type Beam Model of the Vocal Folds for Describing Curved and Incomplete Glottal Closure Patterns. ARXIV 2023:arXiv:2307.02463v1. [PMID: 37461411 PMCID: PMC10350104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Incomplete glottal closure is a laryngeal configuration wherein the glottis is not fully obstructed prior to phonation. In this work, we introduce an Euler-Bernoulli composite beam vocal fold (VF) model that produces qualitatively similar incomplete glottal closure patterns as those observed in experimental and high-fidelity numerical studies, thus offering insights in to the potential underlying physical mechanisms. Refined physiological insights are pursued by incorporating the beam model into a VF posturing model that embeds the five intrinsic laryngeal muscles. Analysis of the combined model shows that co-activating the lateral cricoarytenoid (LCA) and interarytenoid (IA) muscles without activating the thyroarytenoid (TA) muscle results in a bowed (convex) VF geometry with closure at the posterior margin only; this is primarily attributed to the reactive moments at the anterior VF margin. This bowed pattern can also arise during VF compression (due to extrinsic laryngeal muscle activation for example), wherein the internal moment induced passively by the TA muscle tissue is the predominant mechanism. On the other hand, activating the TA muscle without incorporating other adductory muscles results in anterior and mid-membranous glottal closure, a concave VF geometry, and a posterior glottal opening driven by internal moments induced by TA muscle activation. In the case of initial full glottal closure, the posterior cricoarytenoid (PCA) muscle activation cancels the adductory effects of the LCA and IA muscles, resulting in a concave VF geometry and posterior glottal opening. Furthermore, certain maneuvers involving co-activation of all adductory muscles result in an hourglass glottal shape due to a reactive moment at the anterior VF margin and moderate internal moment induced by TA muscle activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed A Serry
- Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Gabriel A Alzamendi
- Institute for Research and Development on Bioengineering and Bioinformatics (IBB), CONICET-UNER, Oro Verde, Entre Ríos 3100, Argentina
| | - Matías Zañartu
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Sean D Peterson
- Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
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Serry MA, Stepp CE, Peterson SD. Exploring the mechanics of fundamental frequency variation during phonation onset. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 2023; 22:339-356. [PMID: 36370231 PMCID: PMC10369356 DOI: 10.1007/s10237-022-01652-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Fundamental frequency patterns during phonation onset have received renewed interest due to their promising application in objective classification of normal and pathological voices. However, the associated underlying mechanisms producing the wide array of patterns observed in different phonetic contexts are not yet fully understood. Herein, we employ theoretical and numerical analyses in an effort to elucidate the potential mechanisms driving opposing frequency patterns for initial/isolated vowels versus vowels preceded by voiceless consonants. Utilizing deterministic lumped-mass oscillator models of the vocal folds, we systematically explore the roles of collision and muscle activation in the dynamics of phonation onset. We find that an increasing trend in fundamental frequency, as observed for initial/isolated vowels, arises naturally through a progressive increase in system stiffness as collision intensifies as onset progresses, without the need for time-varying vocal fold tension or changes in aerodynamic loading. In contrast, reduction in cricothyroid muscle activation during onset is required to generate the decrease in fundamental frequency observed for vowels preceded by voiceless consonants. For such phonetic contexts, our analysis shows that the magnitude of reduction in the cricothyroid muscle activation and the activation level of the thyroarytenoid muscle are potential factors underlying observed differences in (relative) fundamental frequency between speakers with healthy and hyperfunctional voices. This work highlights the roles of sometimes competing laryngeal factors in producing the complex array of observed fundamental frequency patterns during phonation onset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed A Serry
- Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Cara E Stepp
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Sean D Peterson
- Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.
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