A study on laryngeal control for pitch change by use of anatomical structure model

Laryngeal control for change in voice pitch was studied by means of digital simulation of the anatomical structure model. The e.m.g.'s of five laryngeal muscles during the utterance of Japanese word accents were analyzed by an AbS method in order to obtain the underlying higher neuromotor commands. Utilizing the neuromotor commands as input, fundamental frequency contour and excurtion of laryngeal cartilages were calculated by the model and were compared with measured ones. Based on the results, correspondence between pitch change and the movement of larynx, rate of contribution of intrinsic and extrinsic laryngeal muscles to pitch change, and physiological correlates of Japanese word accents are discussed.