Vocalizations of Xenopus laevis are generated by central pattern generators (CPGs). The advertisement call of male X. laevis is a complex biphasic motor rhythm consisting of fast and slow trills (a train of clicks). We found that the trill rate of these advertisement calls is sensitive to temperature and that this rate modification of the vocal rhythms originates in the central pattern generato...

Laryngeal nerves contain the fibres that control the laryngeal function. The studies carried out on the rat with the purpose of having a better knowledge of the functional components and the real origin of the fibres conveyed by the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) are few and in disagreement. No one of such papers were developed using biotinylated dextrane amines (BDA), a powerful tool for trac...

Non-recurrent laryngeal nerve (NRLN) is a rare anomaly which is reported in 0.3%-0.8% of people on the right side and in 0.004% (extremely rare) on the left side. Damage to this nerve during the surgical procedure may lead to severe iatrogenic morbidity and should therefore be prevented from being damaged. The best way to avoid this damage to the nerve is to identify the nerve with a systematic...

We studied the patterns of membrane potential changes in laryngeal motoneurons (LMs) during vocalization, coughing, swallowing, sneezing, and the aspiration reflex in decerebrate paralyzed cats. LMs, identified by antidromic activation from the recurrent laryngeal nerve, were expiratory (ELMs) or inspiratory (ILMs) cells that depolarized during their respective phases in eupnea. During vocaliza...

The function of the posterior cricoarytenoid (PCA) muscle in phonation has not been well documented. To date, several electromyographic studies have suggested that the PCA muscle is not simply an abductor of the vocal folds, but also functions in phonation. This study used an in vivo canine laryngeal model to study the function of the PCA muscle. Subglottic pressure and electroglottographic, ph...

Background. Variations of recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) and Zuckerkandl's tubercle (ZT), which is posterior extension of lateral lobes, may affect safety of thyroidectomy. Methods. Total and hemithyroidectomy were surgical procedures in 60 and 40 patients, respectively. Surgical anatomy was studied in 87 right and 73 left lobes. Presence of ZT was noted and its incidence was determined. RLNs ...

In the past century, thyroid surgery has benefited from physiological and technical revolutions. In the early 1900s, the most important aspect of thyroidectomy was the volume resected, without knowledge of exactly what was removed and if there were important structures around the thyroid gland. The main indications were respiratory problems for tracheal compression and the death rate was greate...

OBJECTIVE The tubercle of Zuckerkandl (TZ) is a lateral projection from the thyroid lobe in the vicinity of the extralaryngeal termination of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN), which is a very useful landmark for identification of the RLN during thyroidectomy. The purpose of the present study was to test our hypothesis that the TZ is more consistently found and is larger on the right than on ...

OBJECTIVE To find out the frequency of Zuckerkandl Tubercle (ZT) and the position of recurrent laryngeal nerve with reference to ZK. STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional observational study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Surgical Ward-3, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Karachi, from June 2010 to August 2011. METHODOLOGY Patients having goiter, aged between 12 - 60 years were admitted thr...

BACKGROUND In thyroid surgery vessel division and haemostasis make up an important and time consuming part of the operation. While the presence of the recurrent laryngeal nerve limits the liberal use of diathermia, the many arterial and venous branches to and from the thyroid gland necessitates the use of numerous conventional suture ligatures.This study evaluates the effect of using a vessel s...