14 DAY TRIAL // Scientists have known for a long time what the basic process involved in vocalization is. Regardless if we speak, sing or shout, the sounds are produced in the same way. Airflow pushed out of the lungs passes between the vocal chords, which are nothing more than muscular filaments. When this happens, the structures vibrate within the airflow and produce sounds, which can then be modeled in various way. Each individual has their own voice, but medical conditions may affect the vocalization ability. A new computer model is currently being devised to understand this process. And to usher in a new set of treatments against these conditions,e! Science News reports.
“Voice disorders affect 30 percent of the general population and up to 60 percent of educators. The objective of our work is to develop a detailed understanding of the phonation process, which will enable the development of computational models,” explains Michael Plesniak, who is a professor at the famous George Washington University. The expert conducts his work alongside his doctoral student Byron Erath, also at the university. The two have been working on these issues for several years and have already teamed up with speech pathologists, so as to get the most detailed answers possible. At the time, Plesniak was still working at the Purdue University.
The team's main concern is discovering the velocity fields and the flow structures inside the air stream, as it passes between the vocal chords and makes them vibrate. The team also developed a mechanical model of the vocal folds, which they hope to use as a basis for more theoretical work. The machine features motorized, programmable components, which are able to change their shapes in very much the same ways natural vocal chords would when a person tries to articulate words, or move from speaking softly to shouting. They operate the model by placing it into a wind tunnel.
This allows the group to analyze the possible causes for common diseases such as polyps and cysts, which affect a large number of people globally and also influence their vocalization abilities to the point where their voices become unrecognizable. The model is especially suited for this type of studies, because it is more than seven time larger than the actual vocal apparatus inside our throats. Therefore, the extent of external influences can be studied in great detail, the team concludes.