Muscle patterns in singing. A pilot study

En estudios electromiográficos realizados previamente en diferentes cantantes, observamos cómo durante la emisión de la voz se producía la activación de los músculos espiradores y en paralelo se producía la contracción de los músculos intercostales externos, potentes inspiradores. Dadas estas observaciones, hemos realizado un estudio piloto con una cantante analizando el comportamiento conjunto de los músculos antes mencionados y del diafragma. Durante diferentes vocalizaciones hemos medido paralelamente la actividad muscular con electromiografía (EMG) y hemos observado el retorno diafragmático mediante ecografía. Los resultados apuntan a que el ascenso del diafragma está directamente relacionado con la nota emitida. Así, en el caso de una nota grave, el diafragma retorna lentamente acompañando el sonido. En el caso de las notas agudas, el diafragma se mantiene casi inmóvil durante la mayor parte de la emisión sonora y sólo al final de la vocalización se produce su ascenso de manera lenta. Se observa que durante la espiración en el canto, los músculos intercostales externos actúan elevando y fijando las costillas lo que impide el ascenso libre del diafragma, que se mantiene en tensión y se eleva de manera lenta y controlada gracias a la presión ejercida por los músculos del abdomen.In electromyographic studies previously executed in different singers, we observed how the activation of exhaling muscles was produced during the voice output, and how the contraction of the external intercostal muscles -powerful inspiratories- was produced in parallel. Given these observations, we conducted a pilot study with a female singer and analysed the behavior of all the aforementioned muscles and of the diaphragm. During different vocalisations, we have measured in parallel the muscle activity with electromyography (EMG) and have observed the diaphragmatic return by ultrasound. The results suggest that the rise of the diaphragm is directly related to the issued notes. Thus, in the case of a low note, the diaphragm returns slowly accompanying the sound. In the case of the high notes, the diaphragm remains almost immobile for most of the sound emission and his rise occurs slowly only at the end of the vocalisation. It is noted that during the expiration in singing, external intercostal muscles raise and fixe the ribs which prevents a free ascent of the diaphragm -which is held in tension and rised slowly and controllably thanks to the pressure exerted by the abdominal muscles.Facultad de Bellas Arte

Muscle patterns in singing. A pilot study

En estudios electromiográficos realizados previamente en diferentes cantantes, observamos cómo durante la emisión de la voz se producía la activación de los músculos espiradores y en paralelo se producía la contracción de los músculos intercostales externos, potentes inspiradores. Dadas estas observaciones, hemos realizado un estudio piloto con una cantante analizando el comportamiento conjunto de los músculos antes mencionados y del diafragma. Durante diferentes vocalizaciones hemos medido paralelamente la actividad muscular con electromiografía (EMG) y hemos observado el retorno diafragmático mediante ecografía. Los resultados apuntan a que el ascenso del diafragma está directamente relacionado con la nota emitida. Así, en el caso de una nota grave, el diafragma retorna lentamente acompañando el sonido. En el caso de las notas agudas, el diafragma se mantiene casi inmóvil durante la mayor parte de la emisión sonora y sólo al final de la vocalización se produce su ascenso de manera lenta. Se observa que durante la espiración en el canto, los músculos intercostales externos actúan elevando y fijando las costillas lo que impide el ascenso libre del diafragma, que se mantiene en tensión y se eleva de manera lenta y controlada gracias a la presión ejercida por los músculos del abdomen.In electromyographic studies previously executed in different singers, we observed how the activation of exhaling muscles was produced during the voice output, and how the contraction of the external intercostal muscles -powerful inspiratories- was produced in parallel. Given these observations, we conducted a pilot study with a female singer and analysed the behavior of all the aforementioned muscles and of the diaphragm. During different vocalisations, we have measured in parallel the muscle activity with electromyography (EMG) and have observed the diaphragmatic return by ultrasound. The results suggest that the rise of the diaphragm is directly related to the issued notes. Thus, in the case of a low note, the diaphragm returns slowly accompanying the sound. In the case of the high notes, the diaphragm remains almost immobile for most of the sound emission and his rise occurs slowly only at the end of the vocalisation. It is noted that during the expiration in singing, external intercostal muscles raise and fixe the ribs which prevents a free ascent of the diaphragm -which is held in tension and rised slowly and controllably thanks to the pressure exerted by the abdominal muscles.Facultad de Bellas Arte

BMAL1-Driven Tissue Clocks Respond Independently to Light to Maintain Homeostasis

Circadian rhythms control organismal physiology throughout the day. At the cellular level, clock regulation is established by a self-sustained Bmal1-dependent transcriptional oscillator network. However, it is still unclear how different tissues achieve a synchronized rhythmic physiology. That is, do they respond independently to environmental signals, or require interactions with each other to do so? We show that unexpectedly, light synchronizes the Bmal1-dependent circadian machinery in single tissues in the absence of Bmal1 in all other tissues. Strikingly, light-driven tissue autonomous clocks occur without rhythmic feeding behavior and are lost in constant darkness. Importantly, tissue-autonomous Bmal1 partially sustains homeostasis in otherwise arrhythmic and prematurely aging animals. Our results therefore support a two-branched model for the daily synchronization of tissues: an autonomous response branch, whereby light entrains circadian clocks without any commitment of other Bmal1-dependent clocks, and a memory branch using other Bmal1-dependent clocks to “remember” time in the absence of external cues

BMAL1-Driven Tissue Clocks Respond Independently to Light to Maintain Homeostasis

Circadian rhythms control organismal physiology throughout the day. At the cellular level, clock regulation is established by a self-sustained Bmal1-dependent transcriptional oscillator network. However, it is still unclear how different tissues achieve a synchronized rhythmic physiology. That is, do they respond independently to environmental signals, or require interactions with each other to do so? We show that unexpectedly, light synchronizes the Bmal1-dependent circadian machinery in single tissues in the absence of Bmal1 in all other tissues. Strikingly, light-driven tissue autonomous clocks occur without rhythmic feeding behavior and are lost in constant darkness. Importantly, tissue-autonomous Bmal1 partially sustains homeostasis in otherwise arrhythmic and prematurely aging animals. Our results therefore support a two-branched model for the daily synchronization of tissues: an autonomous response branch, whereby light entrains circadian clocks without any commitment of other Bmal1-dependent clocks, and a memory branch using other Bmal1-dependent clocks to “remember” time in the absence of external cues