Relationships between muscle activity and velar position.
Five normal subjects were used to study the relations between muscle activity and velar position. The speech sample consisted of the sustained sounds /i/, /u/, /s/, nonnasal /a/, and nasalized /a/. Velar position was determined using lateral-view x-rays. Electromyographic activity was measured from hooked-wire electrodes intended to record from the levator veli palatini, palatoglossus, palatopharyngeus, and the superior pharyngeal constrictor muscles. A transnasal approach was used to insert electrodes intended for superior constrictor. It was found that 1) the level of levator activity was not directly related to velar position, 2) for a given velar position the level of levator activity was related to palatoglossus and/or palatopharyngeus activity in most cases, and 3) superior constrictor was active during all speech samples studied, but the level of activity was inconsistent both within and between subjects.
D000328:Adult; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009132:Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D010156:Palatal Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D010159:Palate / Q000502:physiology; D010160:Palate, Soft / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010609:Pharyngeal Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D010614:Pharynx / Q000502:physiology; D011859:Radiography; D013060:Speech