The Aerodynamic Characteristics of Speech Produced by Normal Speakers and Cleft Palate Speakers with Adequate Velopharyngeal Function

1990 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 393-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodger M. Dalston ◽  
Donald W. Warren ◽  
Lynn R. Smith
2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 49-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie Perry ◽  
Graham Schenck

Despite advances in surgical management, it is estimated that 20–30% of children with repaired cleft palate will continue to have hypernasal speech and require a second surgery to create normal velopharyngeal function (Bricknell, McFadden, & Curran, 2002; Härtel, Karsten, & Gundlach, 1994; McWilliams, 1990). A qualitative perceptual assessment by a speech-language pathologist is considered the most important step of the evaluation for children with resonance disorders (Peterson-Falzone, Hardin-Jones, & Karnell, 2010). Direct and indirect instrumental analyses should be used to confirm or validate the perceptual evaluation of an experienced speech-language pathologist (Paal, Reulbach, Strobel-Schwarthoff, Nkenke, & Schuster, 2005). The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of current instrumental assessment methods used in cleft palate care. Both direct and indirect instrumental procedures will be reviewed with descriptions of the advantages and disadvantages of each. Lastly, new developments for evaluating velopharyngeal structures and function will be provided.


2020 ◽  
pp. 105566562098024
Author(s):  
Kim Bettens ◽  
Laura Bruneel ◽  
Cassandra Alighieri ◽  
Daniel Sseremba ◽  
Duncan Musasizib ◽  
...  

Objective: To provide speech outcomes of English-speaking Ugandan patients with a cleft palate with or without cleft lip (CP±L). Design: Prospective case–control study. Setting: Referral hospital for patients with cleft lip and palate in Uganda. Participants: Twenty-four English-speaking Ugandan children with a CP±L (15 boys, 9 girls, mean 8.4 years) who received palatal closure prior to 6 months of age and an age- and gender-matched control group of Ugandan children without cleft palate. Interventions: Comparison of speech outcomes of the patient and control group. Main Outcome Measures: Perceptual speech outcomes including articulation, resonance, speech understandability and acceptability, and velopharyngeal composite score (VPC-sum). Information regarding speech therapy, fistula rate, and secondary surgery. Results: Normal speech understandability was observed in 42% of the patients, and 38% were judged with normal speech acceptability. Only 16% showed compensatory articulation. Acceptable resonance was found in 71%, and 75% of the patients were judged perceptually to present with competent velopharyngeal function based on the VPC-sum. Additional speech intervention was recommended in 25% of the patients. Statistically significant differences for all these variables were still observed with the control children ( P < .05). Conclusions: Overall, acceptable speech outcomes were found after early primary palatal closure. Comparable or even better results were found in comparison with international benchmarks, especially regarding the presence of compensatory articulation. Whether this approach is transferable to Western countries is the subject for further research.


2006 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 756-761 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takuya Iida ◽  
Susam Park ◽  
Kogo Kato ◽  
Ichiko Kitano

Kabuki syndrome is a syndrome of rare congenital anomalies that was named after its characteristic appearance, a face resembling that of an actor in a Kabuki play. Although cleft palate is a feature that is sometimes observed in patients with Kabuki syndrome, there are few clinical reports of cleft palate associated with Kabuki syndrome. This report presents six cases of Kabuki syndrome with cleft palate and reviews their clinical features. Our results suggest that (1) patients with cleft palate in Kabuki syndrome tend to fail in acquiring normal velopharyngeal function and (2) submucous cleft palate might be more common in patients with Kabuki syndrome than previously was reported.


2002 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 409-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans Dotevall ◽  
Anette Lohmander-Agerskov ◽  
Hasse Ejnell ◽  
Björn Bake

Objectives The aim was to study the relationship between perceptual evaluation of speech variables related to velopharyngeal function and the pattern of nasal airflow during the velopharyngeal closing phase in speech in children with and without cleft palate. Participants Fourteen children with cleft lip and palate or cleft palate only and 15 controls aged 7 and 10 years. All were native Swedish speakers. Method Three experienced listeners performed a blinded perceptual speech evaluation. Nasal airflow was transduced with a pneumotachograph attached to a nasal mask. The duration from peak to 5% nasal airflow, maximum flow declination rate, and nasal airflow at selected points in time during the transition from nasal to stop consonants in bilabial and velar articulatory positions in sentences were estimated. The analysis was focused on the perceptual ratings of “velopharyngeal function” and “hypernasality.” Results A strong association was found between ratings of “velopharyngeal function” and “hypernasality” and the pattern of nasal airflow during the bilabial nasal-to-stop combination /mp/. Both the sensitivity and specificity were 1.00 for the bilabial temporal airflow measure in relation to ratings of “velopharyngeal function.” The nasal airflow rate during /p/ in /mp/ had a sensitivity of 1.00 and specificity of 0.92 to 0.96 in relation to ratings of “hypernasality.” Conclusion Assessment of the nasal airflow dynamics during the velopharyngeal closing phase in speech presents quantitative, objective data that appear to distinguish between perceptually normal and deviant velopharyngeal function with high sensitivity and specificity.


2004 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 315-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takashi Tachimura ◽  
Yasuko Kotani ◽  
Takeshi Wada

Objective This study was designed to examine whether nasalance score is changed in association with placement of a palatal lift prosthesis (PLP) and whether normative data previously reported are applicable to evaluate the effect of a PLP on velopharyngeal function as it relates to nasality. Design Nasalance scores were obtained as subjects read the Kitsutsuki Passage three times with the PLP in place and then removed. Participants Forty-three children (mean age 9.0 years, SD = 3.6 years) with repaired cleft palate who were treated with a PLP were selected as subjects. Their speech was characterized by nasal emission of air, slight hypernasality without a PLP but within normal limits with a PLP in place, or both. Main Outcome Measures Comparisons were made between normative scores and the average mean nasalance score of subjects with and without the PLP. Results Average values of the mean nasalance score for subjects were 17.3% (SD 7.6%) with the PLP in place and 33.5% (SD 13.3%) without the PLP in place. These scores were greater than the mean score of 9.1% (SD 3.9%) obtained from normal controls previously reported. Conclusion A PLP can decrease nasalance scores for speakers with repaired cleft palate who exhibit velopharyngeal incompetence. It was suggested that the normative score obtained from normal adult speakers is not applicable to evaluate the effect of a PLP to improve velopharyngeal function for children wearing the PLP.


1998 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Kunkel ◽  
Ulrich Wahlmann ◽  
Wilfried Wagner

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate a new diagnostic method that provides an approach to noninvasive, objective measurement of velopharyngeal movement by acoustic determination of epipharyngeal volume changes with velopharyngeal muscle function. Design This was a case control study, using consecutive samples. Setting This study took place at the Cleft Palate Rehabilitation Center of the University of Mainz, Germany. Patients Subjects were 29 consecutive cleft lip and palate (CLP) patients and 31 controls (21 patients with dysgnathia and 10 healthy volunteers). Intervention A series of transnasal acoustic measurements (pressure wave: 55 dB for 2 milliseconds) of epipharyngeal volume were performed with the pharyngeal muscles relaxed in end-expiration and while the velopharyngeal orifice was closed, with the difference in volume representing maximal pharyngeal movement. Results Cleft palate patients yielded significantly lower values of velopharyngeal movement (6.5 cm3) than did the control group (8.0 cm3)(p < .05; Mann-Whitney U test). Overlapping ranges of values were measured for the C(L)P and control groups. The least mobility (4.75 cm3) was measured in patients who had undergone pharyngeal flap surgery. Different patterns of restriction were observed in patients with and without a pharyngeal flap. Conclusion Acoustic pharyngometry may provide access to noninvasive quantitative measurement of velopharyngeal movement and a better understanding of the pattern of movement in C(L)P-patients. We expect it to be a helpful tool in objectively monitoring the progress of logopedic therapy.


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