Subject: Re: Emotional speech, supraglottal structures and limbic system From: chen-gia tsai <tsai.cc(at)lycos.com> Date: Wed, 12 May 2004 02:29:15 -0400 Organization:Lycos Mail (http://www.mail.lycos.com:80)On May 11, Martin Braun wrote: >There may not be a specific sub-cortical innervation of supraglottal >structures. The emotional stress effects on the voice may be more generally >mediated by modulation of the autonomic influence on the motor systems of >breathing and swallowing. Dear Martin, Thank you very much for this comment. The autonomic influence on the motor systems of swallowing might be relevant to the adduction of the false vocal folds or aryepiglottic folds, which prevent food from entering the lung. This may explain that one feels supraglottal structures 'pressed' while in anger or danger. From this standpoint, rough voices is a by-product of the 'fight or flight' reaction about swallowing. Is there any reference about that emotional-stress-induced adduction of FVFs or AFs could be related to autonomic influence on the motor systems of swallowing? It is my feeling that rough voices due to FVFs or AFs adduction should not be regarded as a by-product of 'fight or flight' reactions. Such rough voice qualities are paralinguistic cues in human acoustic communication. FVFs and AFs may receive sub-cortical influence - just like that many muscles in the face receive sub-cortical influence - to reveal one's emotional state. Of course, facial expressions are not just side effects of emotions. Best, Chen-Gia Tsai ______________________________________ Chen-Gia Tsai PhD, Humboldt-University of Berlin http://www.yogimont.net/jia/ tsai.cc(at)lycos.com ____________________________________________________________ Find what you are looking for with the Lycos Yellow Pages http://r.lycos.com/r/yp_emailfooter/http://yellowpages.lycos.com/default.asp?SRC=lycos10