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Parameters From the Complete Phonatory Range of an Excised Rabbit Larynx
Randal D Mills1, Keith Dodd1, Alex Ablavsky1
1Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin.
Objective:
This study aims to collect data throughout the complete phonatory range using rabbit larynges.
Study Design:
This is a methodological excised rabbit larynx study.
Methods:
Seven rabbit larynges were dissected and mounted on a modified excised laryngeal apparatus. Phonation was initiated at phonation threshold pressure (PTP) and airflow was increased by consistent increments until phonation instability pressure (PIP) was reached. At each airflow level, aerodynamic measurements, acoustic recordings, and high-speed videos were recorded. This procedure was repeated at multiple elongation conditions to further explore the parameters. Data were then compared across subjects and elongation conditions.
Results:
At PTP, subglottal pressure, fundamental frequency, and sound pressure level were found to increase significantly as elongation was increased. As elongation was increased at PIP, airflow was found to significantly decrease, whereas fundamental frequency was found to significantly increase. Vibratory amplitude decreased at both PTP and PIP as elongation increased. Also, as elongation increased, the range of all parameters was found to decrease significantly.
Conclusions:
The results obtained, combined with the similarities of the histologic structure of the vocal fold lamina propria between rabbits and humans, validate the rabbit larynx as an effective and reliable model for tissue inflammation studies.