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Head movement associated with performance of mandibular tasks
S Miyaoka1, H Hirano, Y Miyaoka
1Division of Rehabilitation, Kuwana Hospital, Niigata, Japan. st-reha@ngt-kuwana.or.jp
Journal of Oral Rehabilitation
|September 17, 2004
Summary
Phonation, or speech production, is linked to head and neck posture. Head movements during speech tasks occur in two distinct phases: an initial backward tilt and a subsequent sustained tilt.
Area of Science:
- Motor control
- Speech science
- Biomechanics
Background:
- The motor system for speech production (phonation) may be functionally connected to the motor system governing head and neck posture.
- Previous research suggests a link between head/neck posture and phonation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the hypothesis of functional coupling between the motor systems controlling phonation and head/neck posture.
- To analyze head and trunk movements during speech tasks and jaw movements.
Main Methods:
- Simultaneous measurement of head tilt and trunk drift (antero-posterior and right-left) in 14 healthy subjects.
- Tasks included speech sounds (/pa/, /ta/, /ka/) and a maximum jaw open-close task.
- Measurements were taken for 20 seconds before and during each task.
Main Results:
- Trunk drift was negligible compared to head tilt across all tasks.
- Head tilt was significantly larger in the antero-posterior direction than the right-left direction.
- Head tilt exhibited two phases: an initial posterior tilt and a sustained phase with either anterior or posterior tilt.
Conclusions:
- Phonation, specifically jaw movement, is accompanied by coordinated head movements in distinct initial and sustained phases.
- The magnitude of sustained head tilt negatively correlated with initial head tilt, suggesting a regulatory mechanism.