WEEK 9 Flashcards
(25 cards)
overview: muscles of the velum
tensor palati, soft palate, area of superior pharyngeal constrictor, levator palati, muscular uvula, palatoglossus, palatopharyngeus
levator veli palatini (origin, insertion, function)
- most important muscle for velum raising
origin: petrous part of the temporal bone and cartilage of the eustachian tube
insertion: palatine aponeurosis of the soft palate
function: elevates the soft palate to close off the nasopharynx - forms a u-shaped muscular sling
the velum has no hard structures, so the ___ helps support it
palatine aponeurosis
- it is a tendonous part that goes through the velum and stabilises it
tensor veli palatini (origin, insertion, function)
origin: sphenoid bone near the base of the skull and the eustachian tube
insertion: palatine aponeurosis
function: tenses the soft palate and opens the eustachian tube
palatoglossus (origin, insertion, function)
origin: palatine aponeurosis of the soft palate
insertion: lateral sides of the tongue
function: draws the soft palate towards the tongue and narrows the OPI, forming a complete ring
palatopharyngeus (origin, insertion, function)
origin: palatine aponeurosis and the hard palate
insertion: thyroid cartilage and the pharyngeal wall
function: lowers the soft palate and narrows the pharyngeal cavity
muscular uvula (origin, insertion, function)
origin: posterior nasal spine of the palatine bone
insertion: uvula
function: elevates and thickens the uvula, assisting in the closing of the nasopharynx
interaction between tongue and velum
- palatoglossus muscle connects the tongue and velum
- velum lowering –> pulls velum down, aiding in the closure of the VPP when producing non-nasal sounds
- tongue raising –> due to insertion of the tongue, it elevates the back of the tongue towards the soft palate –> specific action performed depends on the coordinated muscle activity and the task being executed
methods of velopharyngeal closure
- trapdoor/coronal method
- circular method
- circular with Passavant’s ridge (CPR)
- sagittal method
trapdoor method of velopharyngeal closure (and key muscles)
involved in velum raising to form a complete seal with the rear pharyngeal wall
- key muscle: levator palati
- effective when the velum is large enough or when assisted by the adenoid pad
methods of VPP closure are often squeezed ___, but the sagittal method squeezes ___ around the velum
uniformly/circularly ; laterally
circular method of VPP
involves both levator palati and the superior pharyngeal constrictor to constrict the lateral pharyngeal walls
- roughly 20% of population
circular method with Passavant’s ridge (CPR)
levator palati and superior pharyngeal constrictor, alongside the Passavant’s ridge, are used to constrict the lateral pharyngeal walls
- roughly 15-20% of ppl
sagittal method of VPP
utilises the superior pharyngeal constrictors to squeeze the lateral walls around the velum
- rare among individuals
Passavant’s ridge
- temporary muscle ridge that forms the posterior pharyngeal wall during swallowing or speech
- created by the contraction of the superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle
- supplements the circular method
- sits on the adenoid, which often goes away with age
tensor palati
tenses the soft palate and opens the eustachian tube
area of superior pharyngeal constrictor
constricts the upper pharynx, facilitating swallowing by pushing food downwards towards the esophagus
levator palati
elevates the soft palate and pulls it slightly backwards
- this + action of musculus uvula closes the passage between the nasopharynx and oropharynx, facilitating the act of swallowing and preventing the food from passing to the nasopharynx
adenoid
acts as a contact point for the soft palate during articulation, helping to seal the nasal cavity and prevent air from escaping trough the nose when producing oral sounds, particularly in young children
palatine aponeurosis
thin, firm, fibrous lamella which gives strength and support to soft palate
- serves as the insertion point for the tensor veli palatini and levator veli palatini
- serves as the origin point for the musculus uvula, palatopharyngeus, and palatoglossus
pterygoid hamulus
a hook-like end that serves as a site for muscle attachment
binary view of velopharyngeal mechanisms
speech sounds are either nasal or oral; open for nasals, closed for orals
nasal continuum hypothesis
nasality in speech is not a binary feature (nasal vs. oral) but rather exists along a continuum
nasal sounds vs. oral sounds based on velopharyngeal opening (VPO)
- phonemically nasal vowels and nasal consonants show distinct VPO targets, with nasal vowels exhibiting larger VPOs than nasal consonants
- oral sounds demonstrated the smallest VPO, consistent with the hypothesis that the VPP is closed for oral articulation
