Despite significant advancement in our understanding of the phonation process in general, it still remains unclear how changes in individual geometrical and material properties of the vocal system affect vocal fold vibration and voice production. Our current understanding of phonation is largely based on results obtained from lumped-mass or other simplified phonatory models. These models have successfully identified key elements and features of phonation. However, parameters that are central to these models often cannot be directly measured or easily related to the anatomical structure or material properties of the vocal folds. Due to this lack of correspondence between model parameters and realistic, directly measurable properties of the vocal folds, direct translation of model-derived findings to clinical applications has been problematic. As a result, speech-language pathologists and surgeons often must rely heavily on experience and their subjective impressions of vibratory pattern to diagnose and treat voice disorders. The long-term goal of the proposed research is to establish a direct link between the underlying geometrical and material properties of the vocal folds and the resulting vocal fold vibration, acoustics, and voice quality. The two main questions to be addressed are: 1) How do changes in the geometrical and material properties of the vocal folds, due to either pathologies or surgical procedures, affect vocal fold vibration and voice quality? and 2) What features of the vocal fold vibration are physically related to the geometrical and material properties of the vocal folds and therefore useful for diagnosis of voice disorders and their ultimate management? Over a five-year period, we propose to answer these two main questions by addressing the following three Specific Aims: 1) Determine the influence of vocal fold geometrical and material properties on the resulting vocal fold vibration, acoustics, and voice quality;2) Quantify the influence of left-right asymmetries in vocal fold geometrical and material properties on the resulting vocal fold vibration, acoustics, and voice quality;3) Determine the influence of localized changes in vocal fold properties on the resulting vocal fold vibration, acoustics, and voice quality.

Public Health Relevance

Successful completion of the proposed research will provide a theoretical framework linking the geometrical and material properties of the vocal folds to vocal fold vibration, acoustics, and voice quality. In the future, this knowledge may be applied in the development of clinical tools that help surgeons and speech-language pathologists in the management of various voice disorders.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DC011299-04
Application #
8678895
Study Section
Motor Function, Speech and Rehabilitation Study Section (MFSR)
Program Officer
Shekim, Lana O
Project Start
2011-07-01
Project End
2016-06-30
Budget Start
2014-07-01
Budget End
2015-06-30
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2014
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Los Angeles
Department
Surgery
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
City
Los Angeles
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
90095
Vahabzadeh-Hagh, Andrew M; Zhang, Zhaoyan; Chhetri, Dinesh K (2018) Hirano's cover-body model and its unique laryngeal postures revisited. Laryngoscope 128:1412-1418
Zhang, Zhaoyan (2018) Vocal instabilities in a three-dimensional body-cover phonation model. J Acoust Soc Am 144:1216
Zhang, Zhaoyan; Samajder, Himadri; Long, Jennifer L (2017) Biaxial mechanical properties of human vocal fold cover under vocal fold elongation. J Acoust Soc Am 142:EL356
Wu, Liang; Zhang, Zhaoyan (2017) A Computational Study of Vocal Fold Dehydration During Phonation. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 64:2938-2948
Vahabzadeh-Hagh, Andrew M; Zhang, Zhaoyan; Chhetri, Dinesh K (2017) Three-dimensional posture changes of the vocal fold from paired intrinsic laryngeal muscles. Laryngoscope 127:656-664
Zhang, Zhaoyan (2017) Effect of vocal fold stiffness on voice production in a three-dimensional body-cover phonation model. J Acoust Soc Am 142:2311
Zhang, Zhaoyan (2016) Cause-effect relationship between vocal fold physiology and voice production in a three-dimensional phonation model. J Acoust Soc Am 139:1493
Yin, Jun; Zhang, Zhaoyan (2016) Laryngeal muscular control of vocal fold posturing: Numerical modeling and experimental validation. J Acoust Soc Am 140:EL280
Signorello, Rosario; Zhang, Zhaoyan; Gerratt, Bruce et al. (2016) Impact of Vocal Tract Resonance on the Perception of Voice Quality Changes Caused by Varying Vocal Fold Stiffness. Acta Acust United Acust 102:209-213
Farahani, Mehrdad H; Zhang, Zhaoyan (2016) Experimental validation of a three-dimensional reduced-order continuum model of phonation. J Acoust Soc Am 140:EL172

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