1. Respiratory Physiology

2. Breathing For Speech Air under pressure
Air pressure forces vocal folds apart
To achieve pressure it requires air flow to be resisted

3. Pressure Requirements: Loudness
Produce a soft tone followed by a loud tone:
Observe the increased pressure needed to increase loudness
For speech: resist the flow of air just enough to produce the desired sound
How do you achieve the necessary pressure for speech?
Adjusting the expiratory force of the resp. pump
Adjusting airway resistance

4. Pressure Requirements: Speech
Adjusting expiratory pressure & airway resistance:
Both necessary to generate pressure
Affect air reservoir in lungs- Alveolar pressure
Resulting pressure build up in trachea under folds- Subglottal Pressure
Variations in airway resistance to expiratory forces determine pressure

5. Respiratory Pressures
Expiratory Force
Alveolar
Pressure
Pressure
Increases
Low Pressure
High Pressure
Tracheal
Pressure

6. Stress & Articulation Speech is dynamic (not monotone)
need more than steady resp. alveolar pressure
Stress varies syllable to syllable
Stress variations made by adjustments in:
Pitch
Loudness
Duration

7. Stress & Articulation
Loudness of syllable= Varies with changes in alveolar pressure (small muscle contractions)
Intensity varies from sound to sound
Vowels more intense than consonants
Sound intensity controlled by changes to airway resistance that alter intraoral pressure
Example: “Too” - Pressure rises for “t”

8. Stress & Articulation 3 aspects of speech require control of pressure:
Loudness level of phrase= Interaction of passive & active expiratory forces
Stress at syllable level = Small expiratory contractions or relaxation's of expiratory muscles (momentary changes in alveolar & subglottal pressure)
Intensity variation sound to sound= Instant to instant changes in airway resistance causing momentary fluctuations in intraoral pressure

9. Pressure Requirements & Durations
Loudness (Phrase)
Stress (Syllable)
Phonetic Intensity
(Phone)

10. Volume Requirements Speech breathing differs from quiet respiration:
Requires greater volumes
Quiet (10-15% of VC)
Conversational (25% of VC)
Loud Speech (40% of VC)
Differences achieved by the amount of air inhaled above resting volume

11. Volume Requirements 100 80-85% of VC 60-65% of VC 55% of VC 40 Resting
Tidal
Volume
Conversational
Tidal
Volume
Loud
Tidal
Volume

12. Frequency Requirements
Breathing frequency times per minute
Length of breath depends on length of utterance
Grunting “Uh-huh” will take longer than quiet breathing
Loud statement requires deep inspiration of air which we use past resting (forced expiration)
Usually loud utterance not past 35% VC

13. Frequency Requirements
100
80%
% VC
Resting
Volume
Impassioned Plea 40
35%
“UH HUH”

14. Duration Requirements
Different between quiet & speech:
How quickly we inhale
Resting or heavy exercise- inhale= exhale
Production of sound (whisper, argue, sing or converse)= quick inhalation & long, slow exhalation
Speech: 10% of respiratory cycle (inhaling); 90% (exhaling)
Duration during speech depends on:
Breathy
Loudness

15. Duration Requirements
Inspiration
Expiration
10%
90%
% VC
Resting
Volume
Loud
Conversation
Breathy

16. Respiratory Mechanics of Speech
What adaptations to the respiratory system are made for speech?
Control over:
1) Effects of changes in lung volume during the phrase
2) Active expiratory forces needed to maintain required alveolar pressure for the phrase

17. Relaxation Pressure & Lung Volume
Deeper the inspiration = greater resistance of elastic lung tissue & air sacs against greater stretching & inflation
Relaxation Pressure (Passive expiratory force) = Elastic recoil from inspiration, gravity & untorquing of rib cartilage when chest is raised

18. Relaxation Pressure & Lung Volume
Louder & longer the phrase= Greater volume of air (volume & depth of inspiration increase)
Inspiration increases= Passive resistance recoil increases= Greater relaxation pressure
Elastic recoil are so strong that they exceed alveolar pressure for speech (above 60%)

19. Speech Pressures & Volumes
% VC
Tidal Volume
Relaxation
pressure
Atmospheric pressure
Alveolar Pressure
for Speech
Atmospheric pressure

20. Maintaining Alveolar Pressure for Speech
Both inspiratory & expiratory muscles are used to begin to speak
Some expiratory muscles are used during inspiration
When you begin to speak:
Relaxation pressures too high for the alveolar pressure
Offset excessive relaxation pressure by inhalatory muscular contraction continuing to lift the rib cage until relaxation pressure was reduced to the necessary alveolar pressure

21. Respiratory Dynamics for Speech
Relaxation Pressure
Alveolar Pressure
for Speech
Atmospheric
Pressure
Expiratory Contraction Increases
Active Inspiratory Checking of
Relaxation Pressure Increases

22. Reading/Assignments
Seikel: Pgs
Dickson: Pgs