Abdominal muscle activity during speech production

Abdominal muscle activity was investigated during resting tidal breathing and speech production in upright and supine body positions in five male and five female young adult subjects. Results showed that patterns of abdominal electromyographic (EMG) activity were highly dependent on body position. Data for resting tidal breathing resembled those of previous investigations and revealed one sex-related finding. Data for speech production indicated that the lateral region of the abdomen was highly active in the upright position and occasionally active in the supine position. In the upright position, lateral EMG levels during speech production were characterized by generally higher levels in the lower than upper lateral sites and were almost always higher than during resting tidal breathing. In the supine position, EMG levels during speech production occasionally exceeded those associated with resting tidal breathing but were substantially lower than those associated with upright speech production. Abdominal EMG activity was most prevalent during loud speech production and during speech produced at low lung volumes. Findings are discussed in relation to current knowledge of respiratory mechanics and neural control.