Objective comparison of the electroglottogram to synchronous high-speed images of vocal-fold contact during vibration

This study investigated vocal-fold contact characteristics through electroglottography (EGG) and related them to vibratory behavior as seen through high-speed videoendoscopy (HSV). When the EGG cycle was broken down into phases, the contacting phase represented an increasing percentage of the whole cycle as the EGG signal moved through three registers (pulse, modal, and falsetto). Conversely, the decontacting phase corresponded to a decreasing percentage of the EGG cycle as it moved through the same registers. Furthermore, comparisons of the HSV images and the EGG signal indicated close relationships between specific EGG features and the onset of contact of the vocal folds, maximal contact between the vocal folds, and maximal loss of contact between mucus bridges.