Ventricular-Fold Dynamics in Human Phonation

Lucie Bailly (1) , Nathalie Henrich Bernardoni (2) , Frank Müller (3) , Anna-Katharina Rohlfs (3) , Markus Hess (3)

1 IRPHE - Institut de Recherche sur les Phénomènes Hors Equilibre
2 GIPSA-SLD - GIPSA - Systèmes Linguistiques et Dialectologie
3 UKE - Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf = University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf [Hamburg]

Purpose: In this study, the authors aimed (a) to provide a classification of the ventricular-fold dynamics during voicing, (b) to study the aerodynamic impact of these motions on vocal-fold vibrations, and (c) to assess whether ventricularfold oscillations could be sustained by aerodynamic coupling with the vocal folds. Method: A 72-sample database of vocal gestures accompanying different acoustical events comprised highspeed cinematographic, audio, and electroglottographic recordings of 5 subjects. Combining the physiological correlates with a theoretical model of phonation, the vocal-ventricular aerodynamic interactions were investigated. Results: A ventricular-fold motion is found during (de)crescendos, shout, throat singing, yodel, growls, and glides with transitions between registers. Three main types of dynamics are identified: slow nonoscillatory motion and fast oscillatory motion with aperiodical or periodical vibrations. These patterns accompany a change in voice quality, pitch, and/or intensity. Alterations of glottal-oscillatory amplitude, frequency, and contact were predicted. It is shown that a ventricular oscillation can be initiated and sustained by aerodynamic coupling with the vocal folds. Conclusions: Vocal-ventricular aerodynamic interactions can alter, enhance, or suppress vocal-fold vibrations or leave them unchanged, depending on the ventricular-fold dynamics involved. Depending on its variation in time, a similar level of ventricular-fold adduction impacts the glottal vibratory magnitude and contact much differently.

Mots clés: phonation modeling; voice; high-speed cinematography; aerodynamics; ventricular folds

Domaines: Sciences de l'ingénieur [physics]; Mécanique [physics]; Biomécanique [physics.med-ph]; Physique Médicale [physics.med-ph]; Sciences du Vivant [q-bio]; Linguistique

Lucie Bailly, Nathalie Henrich Bernardoni, Frank Müller, Anna-Katharina Rohlfs, Markus Hess. Ventricular-Fold Dynamics in Human Phonation. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 2014, 57 (4), pp.1219-1242. ⟨10.1044/2014_JSLHR-S-12-0418⟩. ⟨hal-00998464⟩