Nasal Air Current in Phonation

• Published in: jibi to rinsho Vol. 9; no. 3; pp. 231 - 236
• Main Authors: Soda, Toyoji, Matsuo, Kazumi, Nishida, Yukiaki, Suwoya, Hiroshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: JIBI TO RINSHO KAI 20.08.1963
• ISSN: 0447-7227; 2185-1034
• DOI: 10.11334/jibi1954.9.3_231

The authors report here the quantitative measurement of the nasal air current which is produced by phonation. The instrument, thermistor anemometer, was devised so that breathing might not cause variation in the fundamental line and the changes of the atmospheric temperature might not affect the amplitudes (Fig. 1). The subjects were normal persons and patients of rhinolalia aperta. The measurements were carried in the vowels and the sound groups of “na”,“ma”,“ka” and “ga”. The examiners let the subjects pronounce the sounds easily and in speaking pitch. 1. In normal persons Nasal air current was slight or abscent in vowels, but distinct difference in each vowel was not detected. Therfore, it seems that the nasopharynx is not always completely closed. On the other hand, in nasal consonants, the nasal air current was abundant. From the aspect of nasal air current, separation of vowels and nasal consonants was distinctly observed (Fig. 2, 3). 2. In patients of rhinolalia aperta The nasal air current of vowels was equal to that of nasal consonants, the curves resembled each other, and separation of vowels and nasal consonants was not observed (Fig. 4, 5). 3. It cannot be said that the nasal air current is always greater in patients with rhinolalia aperta than in normal persons. Therefore nasalization of speech cannot be judged from the point of view of the nasal air current during phonation, and the disequilibrium in the resonance and the articulation defects should be taken into consideration.