Mardini I A, McCarter R J, Neal G D, Wiederhold M L, Compton C E
Am J Otolaryngol. 1987 Mar-Apr;8(2):85-90. doi: 10.1016/s0196-0709(87)80029-7.
Aging is associated with changes in voice and/or laryngeal protective reflexes in humans. To assess the role of the laryngeal muscles in this change, we have examined in vitro thyroarytenoid (vocalis) muscles excised from the larynxes of young and old baboons. Contractile properties, fatigue characteristics, and resting oxygen consumption of these muscles were measured. The results indicate that the thyroarytenoid muscle of the baboon is a fast muscle that is resistant to fatigue. The thyroarytenoid muscles of older baboons contracted more slowly and recovered less rapidly from fatigue induced by prolonged contractions but developed more maximum active tension than thyroarytenoid muscles of young adult baboons. These small differences in the characteristics of thyroarytenoid muscle of older baboons are probably not sufficient to explain observed changes in laryngeal function in the elderly. The results suggest that changes in neural pathways and/or morphology of the larynx may play a larger role in the altered laryngeal function with age.
衰老与人类声音和/或喉部保护反射的变化有关。为了评估喉部肌肉在这种变化中的作用，我们对从幼年和老年狒狒喉部切除的甲状杓肌（声带肌）进行了体外研究。测量了这些肌肉的收缩特性、疲劳特征和静息氧消耗。结果表明，狒狒的甲状杓肌是一种抗疲劳的快肌。老年狒狒的甲状杓肌收缩较慢，长时间收缩引起的疲劳恢复也较慢，但比成年幼年狒狒的甲状杓肌产生的最大主动张力更大。老年狒狒甲状杓肌特征的这些微小差异可能不足以解释老年人喉部功能的观察变化。结果表明，神经通路和/或喉部形态的变化可能在随年龄增长而改变的喉部功能中起更大作用。
