Changes in Laryngeal Muscle Activity with Age and Treatment

Ramig, Lorraine O.

Abstract

This research project consists of investigations of changes in laryngeal muscle activity with age and treatment. The long-range aims are to document physiologic characteristics of the normal aging larynx and evaluate the response to behavioral treatment. These normative data will be useful for differential diagnosis of laryngeal disorders and to understand the age-related changes in mechanisms of fundamental frequency and intensity control.
Specific aims are to: 1) determine age-related changes in fundamental frequency and intensity ranges in sustained phonation and speech; 2) determine patterns of cricothyroid (CT) and thyroarytenoid (TA) muscle activation and concomitant lung pressure estimates during changes in the fundamental frequency and intensity of phonation in young and old subjects; 3) relate the known reductions in phonatory stability of the elderly voice (jitter, shimmer, tremor, quaver) to reductions in the stability of the frequency of firing and recruitment of motor units of laryngeal muscles and /or variations in lung pressure estimates; 4) determine if and how a behavioral voice therapy known to be efficacious for improving phonation and intelligibility in patients with Parkinson's disease (Lee Silverman Voice Treatment; LSVF) can counteract the acoustic and neuromuscular changes associated with the voice characteristics of normal elderly people. Findings from this work will contribute to knowledge about aging and improving communication skills in older populations.

Funding Agency

• Agency: National Institute of Health (NIH)
• Institute: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
• Type: Comprehensive Center (P60)
• Project #: 5P60DC000976-07
• Application #: 5209906
• Support Year: 7
• Fiscal Year: 1996

Publications

Robin, Donald A; Jacks, Adam; Hageman, Carlin et al. (2008) Visuomotor tracking abilities of speakers with apraxia of speech or conduction aphasia. Brain Lang 106:98-106

Palmer, Phyllis M; Jaffe, Debra M; McCulloch, Timothy M et al. (2008) Quantitative contributions of the muscles of the tongue, floor-of-mouth, jaw, and velum to tongue-to-palate pressure generation. J Speech Lang Hear Res 51:828-35

Ballard, K J; Robin, D A (2007) Influence of continual biofeedback on jaw pursuit-tracking in healthy adults and in adults with apraxia plus aphasia. J Mot Behav 39:19-28

Luschei, Erich S; Ramig, Lorraine O; Finnegan, Eileen M et al. (2006) Patterns of laryngeal electromyography and the activity of the respiratory system during spontaneous laughter. J Neurophysiol 96:442-50

Solomon, Nancy Pearl; Robin, Donald A (2005) Perceptions of effort during handgrip and tongue elevation in Parkinson's disease. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 11:353-61

Kuehn, David P; Moon, Jerald B (2005) Histologic study of intravelar structures in normal human adult specimens. Cleft Palate Craniofac J 42:481-9

Solomon, Nancy Pearl (2004) Assessment of tongue weakness and fatigue. Int J Orofacial Myology 30:8-19

Ramig, Lorraine Olson; Fox, Cynthia; Sapir, Shimon (2004) Parkinson's disease: speech and voice disorders and their treatment with the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment. Semin Speech Lang 25:169-80

Ritchie, Justine M; Smith, Elaine M; Summersgill, Kurt F et al. (2003) Human papillomavirus infection as a prognostic factor in carcinomas of the oral cavity and oropharynx. Int J Cancer 104:336-44

Finnegan, Eileen M; Luschei, Erich S; Barkmeier, Julie M et al. (2003) Synchrony of laryngeal muscle activity in persons with vocal tremor. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 129:313-8