Consonantal intraoral air pressure characteristics in Brazilian postoperative cleft palate speakers with velopharyngeal disorders

ABSTRACT

1. In the present study we measured intraoral air pressure (Po) during the production of the stop consonant/p/, in a syllabic contes, in normal and surgically repaired cleft palate subjects. po was measured by placing a sensing catheter between the lips in the oral cavity. The catheter was connected to a pressure transducer and the output signals were amplified and transmitted to a recorder. 2. When compared to normal individuals, cleft patients with velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) and oral articulation for/p/presented significantly lower Po levels (P<0.01) but pressure curves of normal shape. 3. In cleft palate patients with VPI and glottal coarticulation for/p/, Po was absent or markedly reduced; in the latter case, the Po curve was of a characteristically irregular shape. 4. These results suggest thata measurement of Po during the production of a selected consonant appears to be a suitable instrumental method for identifying VPI and discrininating an oral stop from the compensatory glottal stop often observed in postoperative cleft palate speakers