Effect of Tension, Stiffness, and Airflow on Laryngeal Resistance in the in Vivo Canine Model

Abstract

This study used an in vivo canine model of phonation to determine the effects of airflow on glottal resistance at low, medium, and high levels of recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) and superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) stimulation. Static and dynamic trials of changing airflow were used to study the effects of airflow on glottal resistance during phonation. As reported previously, glottal resistance varies inversely as a function of airflow. Increasing levels of RLN stimulation resulted in a statistically significant increase in glottal resistance for each level of airflow evaluated. Variation in SLN stimulation had no statistically significant effects on the relationship between flow and resistance. At airflow rates greater than 590 milliliters per second (mL/s), glottal resistance approached 0.1 mm Hg per mL/s for all levels of RLN and SLN stimulation tested. These data support the collapsible tube model of phonation.