An Effect of Neck Curvature and Neck Muscles on Pitch Control

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J Korean Soc Laryngol Phoniatr Logop > Volume 5(1); 1994 > Article

Journal of The Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics 1994;5(1): 11-21.

경부 굴곡변화 및 경부근이 pitch 조절에 미치는 영향

홍기환, 김영중, 정경호, 김영기

전북대학교 의과대학 이비인후과학교실

An Effect of Neck Curvature and Neck Muscles on Pitch Control

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ABSTRACT

The vocal pitch is controlled by the tension, mass, and length of the vocal fold. It is well known that cricothyroid approximation raises the vocal pitch by simulating the contraction of the cricothyroid muscle, and there were so many reports that have noted a relationship between cricothyroid distance and pitch control, but there does not seem to be any single generally accepted theory to account for this connection. It is generally known that the strap muscles are active during low and falling Fo, and the suprahyoid muscles are active during high and raising Fo. These findings can be related to a general picture of the motion of the larynx during changes in Fo, the cricothyroid joint would tend to lengthen the vocal folds, as the larynx moves up and forward, and relax them as it moves back and down. In this study, we suggest that the relationship between anterior cricothyroid distance and fundamental frequency of the larynx was so complex according to the level of larynx and vertebral curvature. The higher the level of larynx, the wider the cricothyoid distance, but there is more greater fundamental frequency even though more wide cricothyroid distance. This phono-menon seems to be due to the multifactors, especially the vertical tension of the conus elasticus or the change of cricothyroid articulation. It is generally known that the crocothyoid and vocal is muscles are very closely related to pitch elevation, but sternohyoid muscle seems to be more closely related to pitch lowering. By this electromyographic studies, the sternohyoid muscle have dual activity to pitch control, increased activity during the low fundamental frequency and falling pitch, but also increased activity during the higher fundamental frequency and raising pitch at least in this study.

KEY WORDS： Pitch control;Neck curvature;Sternohyoid muscle;