EFFECTS OF LUNG-VOLUME ON VERTICAL LARYNX POSITION DURING PHONATION

The Vertical position of the larynx seems to be relevant to Voice func tion, As a high vertical larynx position is often seen in hyperfunctio nal and strained voices, a lowering of a habitually elevated larynx is sometimes a specific goal in clinical voice therapy and different lar ynx-lowering exercises an used to achieve this goal. Earlier investiga tions have shown that pitch and to some extent also vocal loudness are relevant to vertical larynx position. In the present investigation, w e examine if lung volume affects vertical larynx position. Using a mul ti-channel electroglottograph, the larynx position was measured in 29 healthy, vocally untrained subjects, who phonated at different lung vo lumes, pitches, and degrees of vocal loudness. The main results were t hat high lung volume was clearly associated with a lower larynx positi on as compared to low lung volume. In addition, vertical larynx positi on was strongly correlated with pitch. Both of these dependencies were shown to be stronger in males than in females. Our results suggest th at lung volume is a factor that is highly relevant to larynx height in untrained subjects.