Influence of functional electric stimulation on phonation in an ex vivo ovine model

The voice changes with aging of the human body. A potential treatment method to conteract the aging of the laryngeal muscles is functional electrical stimulation (FES). In this thesis, the influence and effectiveness of a FES treatment on the aged voice was investigated using the ex vivo ovine model. The larynges underwent functional testing and volumetric analysis. The functional testing showed several beneficial influences of the FES treatment. Based on this knowledge, future treatment plans utilizing FES will improve the quality of life of elderly people.