Surface electromyographic (sEMG) activity of the suprahyoid and sternocleidomastoid muscles in pitch and loudness control
Purpose: This study set out to determine the contributions of the suprahyoid and sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscles in changing pitch and loudness during phonation among vocally healthy populations.Method: Thirty-nine participants were first recruited, and twenty-nine of them who passed the screening...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Physiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1147795/full |
| _version_ | 1797833616757096448 |
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| author | Feifan Wang Edwin M.-L. Yiu |
| author_facet | Feifan Wang Edwin M.-L. Yiu |
| author_sort | Feifan Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Purpose: This study set out to determine the contributions of the suprahyoid and sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscles in changing pitch and loudness during phonation among vocally healthy populations.Method: Thirty-nine participants were first recruited, and twenty-nine of them who passed the screening test (Voice Handicap Index [VHI]-10 score ≤11, auditory-perceptual voice rating score ≤2) were finally selected (mean age = 28.2 years). All participants were measured for their surface electromyographic (sEMG) activity collected from the bilateral suprahyoid and SCM muscles when producing the vowel /a/, /i/, and /u/ in natural (baseline) and at different pitch (+3, +6, -3, -6 semitones) and loudness (+5, +10, −5 dB) levels. Linear mixed-effects models were performed to determine the influencing factors on the root-mean-square percentage of maximal voluntary contraction (RMS %MVC) value of the sEMG signals.Results: Compared with the baseline, a significant decrease of RMS %MVC was found in the suprahyoid muscles during overall phonations of lower pitches (−3 and −6 semitones) and loudness (−5 dB). However, no significant change was detected when producing speech at higher pitch (+3 and +6 semitones) and loudness (+5 and +10 dB) levels. Among the three vowels, /i/ demonstrated significantly higher RMS %MVC than those of /a/ and /u/. The SCM muscles, however, did not show any significant change in the RMS %MVC values among different vowels in relation to the pitch and loudness changes. When the muscles were compared across the two sides, significantly higher RMS %MVC was found in the right side of the suprahyoid (in pitch and loudness control) and SCM (in pitch control) when compared to the left side.Conclusions: The suprahyoid muscle activities were significantly decreased when producing lower pitches and intensities compared to the natural baselines. The production of sustained /i/ required significantly more suprahyoid muscle activities than those of /a/ and /u/. The SCM muscles did not show much sEMG activity in any of the pitch and loudness levels, which could be used potentially as the calibration or normalization of peri-laryngeal sEMG measurement. The findings also showed a tendency for bilateral asymmetry in the use of suprahyoid and SCM muscles. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T14:25:59Z |
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| id | doaj.art-4c42e86fe6c74ccdb7da8852ef41dbec |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-042X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T14:25:59Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
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| series | Frontiers in Physiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-4c42e86fe6c74ccdb7da8852ef41dbec2023-05-04T04:22:48ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Physiology1664-042X2023-05-011410.3389/fphys.2023.11477951147795Surface electromyographic (sEMG) activity of the suprahyoid and sternocleidomastoid muscles in pitch and loudness controlFeifan WangEdwin M.-L. YiuPurpose: This study set out to determine the contributions of the suprahyoid and sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscles in changing pitch and loudness during phonation among vocally healthy populations.Method: Thirty-nine participants were first recruited, and twenty-nine of them who passed the screening test (Voice Handicap Index [VHI]-10 score ≤11, auditory-perceptual voice rating score ≤2) were finally selected (mean age = 28.2 years). All participants were measured for their surface electromyographic (sEMG) activity collected from the bilateral suprahyoid and SCM muscles when producing the vowel /a/, /i/, and /u/ in natural (baseline) and at different pitch (+3, +6, -3, -6 semitones) and loudness (+5, +10, −5 dB) levels. Linear mixed-effects models were performed to determine the influencing factors on the root-mean-square percentage of maximal voluntary contraction (RMS %MVC) value of the sEMG signals.Results: Compared with the baseline, a significant decrease of RMS %MVC was found in the suprahyoid muscles during overall phonations of lower pitches (−3 and −6 semitones) and loudness (−5 dB). However, no significant change was detected when producing speech at higher pitch (+3 and +6 semitones) and loudness (+5 and +10 dB) levels. Among the three vowels, /i/ demonstrated significantly higher RMS %MVC than those of /a/ and /u/. The SCM muscles, however, did not show any significant change in the RMS %MVC values among different vowels in relation to the pitch and loudness changes. When the muscles were compared across the two sides, significantly higher RMS %MVC was found in the right side of the suprahyoid (in pitch and loudness control) and SCM (in pitch control) when compared to the left side.Conclusions: The suprahyoid muscle activities were significantly decreased when producing lower pitches and intensities compared to the natural baselines. The production of sustained /i/ required significantly more suprahyoid muscle activities than those of /a/ and /u/. The SCM muscles did not show much sEMG activity in any of the pitch and loudness levels, which could be used potentially as the calibration or normalization of peri-laryngeal sEMG measurement. The findings also showed a tendency for bilateral asymmetry in the use of suprahyoid and SCM muscles.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1147795/fullsurface electromyographylaryngeal musclesspeechpitchloudness |
| spellingShingle | Feifan Wang Edwin M.-L. Yiu Surface electromyographic (sEMG) activity of the suprahyoid and sternocleidomastoid muscles in pitch and loudness control Frontiers in Physiology surface electromyography laryngeal muscles speech pitch loudness |
| title | Surface electromyographic (sEMG) activity of the suprahyoid and sternocleidomastoid muscles in pitch and loudness control |
| title_full | Surface electromyographic (sEMG) activity of the suprahyoid and sternocleidomastoid muscles in pitch and loudness control |
| title_fullStr | Surface electromyographic (sEMG) activity of the suprahyoid and sternocleidomastoid muscles in pitch and loudness control |
| title_full_unstemmed | Surface electromyographic (sEMG) activity of the suprahyoid and sternocleidomastoid muscles in pitch and loudness control |
| title_short | Surface electromyographic (sEMG) activity of the suprahyoid and sternocleidomastoid muscles in pitch and loudness control |
| title_sort | surface electromyographic semg activity of the suprahyoid and sternocleidomastoid muscles in pitch and loudness control |
| topic | surface electromyography laryngeal muscles speech pitch loudness |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1147795/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT feifanwang surfaceelectromyographicsemgactivityofthesuprahyoidandsternocleidomastoidmusclesinpitchandloudnesscontrol AT edwinmlyiu surfaceelectromyographicsemgactivityofthesuprahyoidandsternocleidomastoidmusclesinpitchandloudnesscontrol |