Vocal fold vibrations in dysphonia: model vs. measurement

Several investigators have conjectured that the electroglottographic (EGG) waveform is inversely proportional to the lateral area of contact of the vocal folds. But this conjecture is essentially impossible to substantiate by observations. We have developed a simple model of the vocal folds that estimates the vocal fold lateral contact area as a function of time. The EGG waveform is directly calculated as the reciprocal of this lateral contact area function. We show how the model may be used to simulate EGG waveforms for normal male voices in model register and vocal fry and for predicting EGG waveforms for models of vibrating vocal folds that have a nodule or polyp on one fold.