Ribeiro, JéssicaAraújo, AndréSousa, Andreia S. P.Pereira, FilipaPinheiro de Sousa, Andreia SofiaGuerreiro Martins Araújo, Pedro André2026-04-272026-04-272025-10-17Ribeiro, J., Araújo, A., Sousa, A. S. P., & Pereira, F. (2025). Electromyographic assessment of the extrinsic laryngeal muscles: Pilot and descriptive study of a vocal function assessment protocol. Sensors, 25(20), 6430. https://doi.org/10.3390/s25206430http://hdl.handle.net/10400.22/32309The aim of this study was to develop and test a surface electromyography (sEMG) assessment protocol to characterise the activity of the extrinsic laryngeal muscles (suprahyoid and infrahyoid) during phonatory tasks and vocal techniques. The protocol of assessment was based on electromyographic assessment guidelines and on clinical voice evaluation needs and was tested in six healthy adults with no vocal disorders. Surface electromyographic activity of suprahyoid and infrahyoid muscles was acquired during different reference tasks (rest, reading, maximum contractions) and six vocal tasks, including nasal sounds, fricatives, and semi-occluded vocal tract exercises. A laryngeal accelerometer was used for detecting the beginning and end of each exercise. The average activity during each task was normalised by the signal obtained in the incomplete swallowing task for the SHM and by the sniff technique for the IHM. The range of activation values varied across tasks, with higher percentages observed in plosive production and in the “spaghetti” technique, while nasal and fricative sounds tended to show lower activation values within the group. A consistent pattern of simultaneous activation of suprahyoid and infrahyoid muscles was observed during phonation. The protocol proved potential for clinical application in speech–language pathology as it enabled the characterisation of muscle activity in determinant muscles for vocal function. Larger samples and further validation of the time-marking system are needed. This study provides a foundation for integrating sEMG measures into functional voice assessment.engSurface electromyographyExtrinsic laryngeal musclesVoiceVoice assessmentSpeech therapyresearch article10.3390/s252064301424-8220