Using surface electromyography to compare healthy male and female laryngeal muscles activity

Laryngeal muscles contribute in sound production play a key role in specific language. Needle electromyography is the specific complementary method for muscle activity evaluation which is awfully painful and needs serenity of patient. The purpose of this study was to use Surface electromyography as a probable new approach for evaluation of laryngeal muscles activity.

34 healthy women and 34 healthy men aged 20-30 years old were enrolled in this study. Each individual was seated in an armchair. Recording electrodes were placed bilaterally (right and left) in the low anterior neck at approximately one centimeter from midline on thyroarytenoid and cricothyroid muscles. Silent activity and fricative voice (/z/, /ž/) and voiceless (/s/, /š/) activities were recorded for ten seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest, for 5 repetition. All data were processed and frequency and non linear measurements were assessed. And were compared in time and frequency domain.

Muscle activity in fricative voice in both groups was greater than rest condition (p<0.05). Moreover, muscle activity median frequency was significantly more in men than women (p<0.001).

Activity evaluation of thyroarytenoid and cricothyroid muscles using surface electromyography is difficult in women. That may be due to anatomical features such as length and width of neck in women.