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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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Palaparthi A, Alluri RK, Titze IR. Deep Learning for Neuromuscular Control of Vocal Source for Voice Production. APPLIED SCIENCES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 14:769. [PMID: 39071945 PMCID: PMC11281313 DOI: 10.3390/app14020769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
A computational neuromuscular control system that generates lung pressure and three intrinsic laryngeal muscle activations (cricothyroid, thyroarytenoid, and lateral cricoarytenoid) to control the vocal source was developed. In the current study, LeTalker, a biophysical computational model of the vocal system was used as the physical plant. In the LeTalker, a three-mass vocal fold model was used to simulate self-sustained vocal fold oscillation. A constant/ǝ/vowel was used for the vocal tract shape. The trachea was modeled after MRI measurements. The neuromuscular control system generates control parameters to achieve four acoustic targets (fundamental frequency, sound pressure level, normalized spectral centroid, and signal-to-noise ratio) and four somatosensory targets (vocal fold length, and longitudinal fiber stress in the three vocal fold layers). The deep-learning-based control system comprises one acoustic feedforward controller and two feedback (acoustic and somatosensory) controllers. Fifty thousand steady speech signals were generated using the LeTalker for training the control system. The results demonstrated that the control system was able to generate the lung pressure and the three muscle activations such that the four acoustic and four somatosensory targets were reached with high accuracy. After training, the motor command corrections from the feedback controllers were minimal compared to the feedforward controller except for thyroarytenoid muscle activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anil Palaparthi
- Utah Center for Vocology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Rishi K. Alluri
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Ingo R. Titze
- Utah Center for Vocology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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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. 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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Titze IR. Simulation of Vocal Loudness Regulation with Lung Pressure, Vocal Fold Adduction, and Source-Airway Interaction. J Voice 2023; 37:152-161. [PMID: 33454166 DOI: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2020.11.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
In speaking, shouting, and singing, vocal loudness is known to be regulated with lung pressure, but the degree to which vocal fold adduction and airway shape play a role in loudness control is less well known. When loudness is quantified in sones instead of sound pressure level (SPL), the regulatory mechanisms are even less obvious. Here it is shown computationally that loudness is insensitive to changes in SPL produced with variable adduction. A trade-off exists between a reduction in glottal flow amplitude and a flatter spectral slope. When the airway configuration is changed from a uniform tube to a "belt" or "call" shape, loudness can increase with a slight decrease in SPL. When the airway configuration is changed from a uniform tube to an operatic "ring" shape, loudness is increased with only a small increase in SPL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingo R Titze
- National Center for Voice and Speech, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.
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Alzamendi GA, Peterson SD, Erath BD, Hillman RE, Zañartu M. Triangular body-cover model of the vocal folds with coordinated activation of the five intrinsic laryngeal muscles. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 151:17. [PMID: 35105008 PMCID: PMC8727069 DOI: 10.1121/10.0009169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Poor laryngeal muscle coordination that results in abnormal glottal posturing is believed to be a primary etiologic factor in common voice disorders such as non-phonotraumatic vocal hyperfunction. Abnormal activity of antagonistic laryngeal muscles is hypothesized to play a key role in the alteration of normal vocal fold biomechanics that results in the dysphonia associated with such disorders. Current low-order models of the vocal folds are unsatisfactory to test this hypothesis since they do not capture the co-contraction of antagonist laryngeal muscle pairs. To address this limitation, a self-sustained triangular body-cover model with full intrinsic muscle control is introduced. The proposed scheme shows good agreement with prior studies using finite element models, excised larynges, and clinical studies in sustained and time-varying vocal gestures. Simulations of vocal fold posturing obtained with distinct antagonistic muscle activation yield clear differences in kinematic, aerodynamic, and acoustic measures. The proposed tool is deemed sufficiently accurate and flexible for future comprehensive investigations of non-phonotraumatic vocal hyperfunction and other laryngeal motor control disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel A Alzamendi
- Institute for Research and Development on Bioengineering and Bioinformatics (IBB), CONICET-UNER, Oro Verde, Entre Ríos 3100, Argentina
| | - Sean D Peterson
- Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Byron D Erath
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York 13699, USA
| | - Robert E Hillman
- Center for Laryngeal Surgery and Voice Rehabilitation, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA
| | - Matías Zañartu
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso 2390123, Chile
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