Phonation

Question 1

What is phonation?

Answer 1

Production of “voice” Vocal fold vibration

Question 2

What are the two types of phonation?

Answer 2

Voiced and voiceless

Question 3

What are the 3 states of the glottis?

Answer 3

Closed, open and intermittent.

Question 4

What is the theory of voice production and what do the different parts mean?

Answer 4

Aerodynamic Myoelastic Theory of Phonation:

• Aerodynamic: air pressure/ movement forces
• Myoelastic: muscle and tissue, flexible

Question 5

What is the Aerodynamic Myoelastic theory of Phonation?

Answer 5

Describes the action of one cycle of pulsed energy.

Question 6

Describe the cycle of the aerodynamic myoelastic theory of phonation?

Answer 6

The glottis is closed-> vocal folds subjected to pressure-> vocal folds abduct-> subjected to Bernouli effect-> vocal folds adduct-> glottis closes

Question 7

What is the Bernouli effect?

Answer 7

When gas/liquid is flowing through narrower space than it has been it accelerates. Then pressure drops which causes suction (rarefaction).

Question 8

What are the different phonation types?

Answer 8

1. Voice= normal
2. Breathy
3. Whispery Voice
4. Creaky
5. Harsh
6. Falsetto

Question 9

What is a breathy voice?

Answer 9

When combined with voice, vocal folds vibrate without closing and air flows very quickly.

Question 10

What is a whispery voice?

Answer 10

• Triangular opening (less than 25% of glottis means less air)
• Friction noise
• Quite damaging to vocal folds

Question 11

What is a creaky voice?

Answer 11

• Vocal folds made heavier and slower.
• Vocal folds adduct strongly: thickening of folds.
• Low frequency crackling sound (vocal fry)

Question 12

What is harsh voicing?

Answer 12

Very strong tension of the vocal folds. Irregular vibration and amplitude.

Question 13

What is falsetto?

Answer 13

High frequency of vocal folds and stretched longitudinal. They are thin at the edges.

Question 14

What is pitch?

Answer 14

The frequency of opening and closing of vocal folds.

Question 15

What is the difference between large vocal folds and small vocal folds?

Answer 15

Large= slower VF's so lower pitch
Small= faster VF's so higher pitch.

Question 16

What is average pitch for males, females and children?

Answer 16

Male= 120 Hz
Female= 220 Hz
Child= 330 Hz

Question 17

What is loudness related to?

Answer 17

Amount of sub-glottal pressure. Loud voice= larger space between vocal folds during abduction.

Question 18

What does loudness measure as and refer to?

Answer 18

• decibels

- amplitude

Question 19

How many decibels can be recorded for a quiet and loud conversation and the limit for pain?

Answer 19

Quiet= 50 dB
Loud= 70 dB
Pain= 13- dB

Question 20

What describes the difference in length of the opening stage?

Answer 20

Timbre

Question 21

Perturbation: What is jitter?

Answer 21

Vibrations in pitch:

• vibration cycles vary in frequency
• occurs in normal speech but markedly increased in Dysphonic patients.

Question 22

Perturbation: What is shimmer?

Answer 22

Variations in loudness:

- variability in amplitude of vibration of vocal folds.

Question 23

What do phonation types communicate?

Answer 23

They communicate info but don’t change meaning of words (eg. bored, sexy etc). Changes meaning for some languages.

Question 24

Perturbation: How does ageing affect phonation?

Answer 24

• Low amplitude
• Breathy phonation
• F0 decreased (more in females than males)
• Jitter and shimmer increase.

Question 25

What do voice disorders such as Laryngitis affect?

Answer 25

Affects pitch, loudness, breathy and hoarse.

Question 26

What developmental disorders can occur?

Answer 26

Abnormal vocal folds/ paralysis, voice mutation.

Question 27

What can occur with voice misuse?

Answer 27

Swelling, nodules, polyps