Twitch Response in the Canine Vocalis Muscle

The twitch response of the canine vocalis muscle was investigated through a series of experiments conducted in vitro. Samples of vocalis muscle were dissected and prepared from canine larynges a few minutes before death and kept in Krebs solution at a temperature of 37 +/- 1 degrees C and pH of 7.4 +/- 0.05. Field stimulation with parallel-plate silver electrodes was applied to study the twitch response of muscle samples. The peak tension and time course of isometric contraction of isolated muscle samples were measured electronically with a Cambridge Technology Dual Servo System (ergometer). Contraction time and 50% relaxation time of this muscle were measured for seven samples at various levels of strain. It was found that contraction time ranged between 22 and 32 ms and 50% relaxation time ranged between 17 and 37 ms. Results indicate that the vocalis muscle is a fast muscle capable of performing rapid maneuvers in support of changes in fundamental frequency.