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Updated: Oct 17, 2025

Hemi-laryngeal Setup for Studying Vocal Fold Vibration in Three Dimensions
Published on: November 25, 2017
Relationship between epilarynx tube shape and the radiated sound pressure level during phonation is gender specific
Alexander Mainka1,2, Ivan Platzek3, Anna Klimova4
1Clinic for Audiology and Phoniatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Objective/Hypothesis:
The aim of the study was to measure the morphology of the epilaryngeal tube during sustained phonation as a function of loudness variation and to compare subjects of different genders.
Study Design:
This is a prospective study.
Methods:
Five female and five male classically trained singers were recorded by magnetic resonance imaging with simultaneous audio recordings while sustaining phonation at three different loudness conditions. Three-dimensional subsections of the vocal tract were segmented on multi-image-based cross-sections. Different volume and area measures were determined and their relation to sound pressure level and loudness condition was analyzed.
Results:
Male singers tended to narrow the epilaryngeal tube when increasing sound pressure level whereas female singers did not.
Conclusion:
Strategies of vocal tract adjustments during loudness variation in classical singing appear to be gender specific.
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