Praxis SLP Licensure Exam

A patient diagnosed with viral-induced superior laryngeal nerve damage would MOST LIKELY have difficulties with which of the following?

1. Maintaining phonation

2. Controlling respiration

3. Changing pitch

4. Valving the nasal cavity

The correct answer is: Changing pitch

In the context of superior laryngeal nerve damage, the correct answer relates to difficulties with changing pitch. The superior laryngeal nerve is responsible for innervating the cricothyroid muscle, which plays a crucial role in adjusting the tension of the vocal folds during phonation. This tension adjustment is essential for modulating pitch. When the superior laryngeal nerve is compromised, the individual often experiences challenges in changing pitch effectively. Phonation is typically maintained because other muscles can still function to produce sound even if pitch cannot be varied. Similarly, respiration control remains intact, since it is managed by different neural pathways and muscles. The ability to valve the nasal cavity, which involves different anatomical structures, is not directly tied to the superior laryngeal nerve. Thus, despite the presence of other possible vocal-related issues, the specific difficulty associated with viral-induced superior laryngeal nerve damage is primarily observed in the ability to change pitch.