Entropy and Complexity in the Analysis of the Neuromechanical Pattern of the Vocal Folds Affected by Smoking
摘要
It has been demonstrated that the act of smoking can irritate the mucous membrane, thereby stimulating the secretion of mucus. This protective mechanism serves to safeguard the vocal folds from potential damage caused by biomechanical friction. Furthermore, it has been shown that these alterations influence the sensory feedback data that the brain employs to encode a motor control pattern, which in turn regulates the neuromechanical processes of the vocal folds during the vocal production process. The purpose of these modifications is to establish a coupling between the trigeminal innervation and the neuromechanical control pattern, thereby enabling the vibratory rhythm of the vocal folds to be self-regulating in accordance with the physiological characteristics of each individual’s mucosa. This will facilitate the generation of cycle-to-cycle oscillations, thereby maintaining the movements that produce the voice over time. The aim of this study is to analyse the complexity of neuromechanical patterns using an entropy estimator to quantify the decoupling deficit between vocal fold movement rhythms in search of differences between larynxes not exposed to nicotinic toxicants. To do this, we use an entropy-based prediction model that provides a graphical approximation of the neuromechanical pattern and an attractor that characterizes the deficit in coordination in the rhythm of vocal fold movements and the inefficiency of motor control to sustain them over time. To analyse the variability and complexity of biological signals, a one-factor ANOVA and Tukey’s test were performed on three groups of individuals with an irritant factor affecting mucus secretion: smokers with laryngeal reflux disease (ERGE), non-smokers with stress, and non-smokers with viral conditions. The results showed clear differences between the neuromechanical coupling deficits of smokers and non-smokers. Smokers had the lowest values for neuromechanical pattern entropy and high values for coupling deficits suggesting that there is less complexity associated with a lower adaptive and functional capacity of the vocal folds compared to non-smokers.