Incidence of supraglottic activity in males and females: a preliminary report

Stager, Sheila V; Neubert, Rebecca; Miller, Susan; Regnell, Joan Roddy; Bielamowicz, Steven A

doi:10.1067/S0892-1997(03)00034-1

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Volume 17, Issue 3 , Pages 395-402, September 2003

Incidence of supraglottic activity in males and females: a preliminary report☆

From ^∗The Voice Treatment Center, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C.; ^†The University of Virginia Medical Center, Charlottesville, Virginia; and the ^‡Department of Speech and Hearing, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C., USA

Accepted 16 September 2002.

Washington, D.C. and Charlottesville, Virginia

Abstract

Summary: Supraglottic activity was rated from flexible endoscopic video recordings of subjects with normal laryngeal structure and function as they sustained vowels and repeated syllables and sentences. Judges rated these recordings for false vocal fold (FVF) adduction and anterior-to-posterior (A–P) compression at the initiation of the speech task, throughout the whole speech task (static supraglottic activity), and as brief individual adductions within a speech task (dynamic supraglottic activity). Significant differences in A–P (p<0.0003) and FVF (p<0.0000001) compression were found between tasks. Dynamic FVF activity was associated with glottal stops. Static A–P and FVF activities were present in males significantly more (p<0.0001) than females. FVF activity associated with speech initiation was found in females significantly more (p=0.0256) than males. Supraglottic activity plays a role in normal speech production, and should not necessarily be considered suggestive of a voice use pattern with excessive muscle tension.