Methodology for speech assessment in the Scandcleft project--an international randomized clinical trial on palatal surgery: experiences from a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: To present the methodology for speech assessment in the Scandcleft project and discuss issues from a pilot study. DESIGN: Description of methodology and blinded test for speech assessment. Speech samples and instructions for data collection and analysis for comparisons of speech outcomes across five included languages were developed and tested. PARTICIPANTS AND MATERIALS: Randomly selected video recordings of 10 5-year-old children from each language (n = 50) were included in the project. Speech material consisted of test consonants in single words, connected speech, and syllable chains with nasal consonants. Five experienced speech and language pathologists participated as observers. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Narrow phonetic transcription of test consonants translated into cleft speech characteristics, ordinal scale rating of resonance, and perceived velopharyngeal closure (VPC). A velopharyngeal composite score (VPC-sum) was extrapolated from raw data. Intra-agreement comparisons were performed. RESULTS: Range for intra-agreement for consonant analysis was 53% to 89%, for hypernasality on high vowels in single words the range was 20% to 80%, and the agreement between the VPC-sum and the overall rating of VPC was 78%. CONCLUSIONS: Pooling data of speakers of different languages in the same trial and comparing speech outcome across trials seems possible if the assessment of speech concerns consonants and is confined to speech units that are phonetically similar across languages. Agreed conventions and rules are important. A composite variable for perceptual assessment of velopharyngeal function during speech seems usable; whereas, the method for hypernasality evaluation requires further testing.

Long-term effects of palatal plate therapy on oral motor function in children with Down syndrome evaluated by video registration.

Oral motor function was evaluated after 4 years of palatal plate therapy in nine children with Down syndrome (DS); 11 children with DS constituted the control group. During the treatment period all children had orofacial physiotherapy with their speech pathologist. An extraoral examination was performed, as was a video registration of the face. Nine different variables showing positions of the lips, tongue, and facial expression were examined. Children in the palatal plate group (n = 9) had significantly more rounding lips during speech (P< 0.05) than children in the control group (n = 11). The active variables describing normal muscle tension were diagnosed to constitute 81.0% +/- 11.0% of the registered video time in the palatal plate group, compared with 68.2% +/- 22.5% in the control group. Statistically significant differences were found between the groups in the summary variables describing an inactive open mouth and inactive tongue protrusion (P< 0.01). The results indicate that palatal plate therapy has a long-term effect on oral motor function.

A six-centre international study of the outcome of treatment in patients with clefts of the lip and palate: the results of a cross-linguistic investigation of cleft palate speech.

Speech samples of 131 subjects with complete unilateral clefts of the lip and palate from six European cleft palate centres were analysed and assessed using a specifically designed phonetic framework. This framework focused on consonants that are "vulnerable" in speech associated with cleft palate and common to the five languages of the project. The methodology used and the results of the reliability study are reported. Consonant articulation, resonance, and voice quality are also evaluated. The results show good outcomes with regard to consonant articulation across the whole study group with common areas of minor difficulty across languages. The results for resonance were less good, with slight hypernasality in 20% of subjects. There were, however, few indications of seriously disordered speech. The detectable differences between centres match the findings of the Eurocleft Orthodontic Group particularly in regard to the ranking of the centres.

Deterioration of intraoral recognition of shapes after treatment of oral and pharyngeal cancer.

Thirty patients with diagnosed malignant tumors of the oral cavity or pharynx were tested in regards to intraoral shape recognition at 4 test occasions: before all treatment, after radiotherapy, 6 months after surgery, and 1 year after surgery. They were compared within groups as well as with a group of healthy reference individuals of the same age who underwent the same test procedure at a 2-month interval. The tumor itself did not influence the capability of shape recognition. The reference individuals demonstrated significantly better results on the second test occasion, which is known as a learning effect. Learning improvement was not seen in the patients whose second test occasions were after radiotherapy, implying an impediment amounting to the magnitude of the learning effect. At 6 months after surgery the patients' capabilities of shape recognition had deteriorated significantly with no difference between the oral cancer group and the pharyngeal cancer group. No spontaneous rehabilitation had taken place 1 year after surgery. The presence or absence of surgical lingual nerve damage did not influence the results. The nonoperated side does not compensate for the operated one. It is plausible that decreased oral sensory acuity in recognizing the shape of the bolus contributes to postoperative swallowing problems.

Deterioration of intraoral hole size identification after treatment of oral and pharyngeal cancer.

Thirty-one patients with a diagnosed malignant tumour of the oral cavity or pharynx were tested in hole size identification on four test occasions: before all treatment, after radiotherapy and 6 months and 1 year after surgical treatment. They were compared within groups as well as with a group of healthy reference individuals of the same age who underwent the same test procedure at a 2 months' interval. The oral group did not decline in hole size identification after radiotherapy, but did after surgery. The deterioration was persistent 1 year after surgery. The pharyngeal group did not change performance in hole size identification after radiotherapy, nor after surgery. It is obvious that surgery of the oral structures causes the deterioration. No correlation with damage to the lingual nerve could be registered. The oral cavity reacts as one unit, despite sensory input from two sides. The non-operated side does not compensate for the operated side. It is plausible that decreased oral sensory acuity, in recognizing hole size of the bolus, contributes to postoperative swallowing problems.

Comparison between two types of pharyngeal flap with regard to configuration at rest and function and speech outcome.

OBJECTIVE: In management of hypernasality, wide pharyngeal flaps have been advocated when pharyngeal wall adduction is limited. Pharyngeal flaps merged into a transversely split velum (TS flaps) are reported to be wider than if the velum is split in the midline (MS flaps). The hypothesis to be tested was that TS flaps are wider than MS flaps and are more caudally based. DESIGN: In this prospective study, MS flaps were videoradiographically and nasopharyngoscopically compared with TS flaps at both rest and function. Pharyngoplasty was randomly performed by one of three surgeons and the radiographic examinations were carried out by one radiologist. The speech was assessed pre- and postoperatively. SETTING: The Stockholm Cleft Palate Team, Sweden, treated all patients. PATIENTS: After strict selection of the patients to avoid any uncontrolled impact on velopharyngeal sphincter function, 22 patients with limited pharyngeal adduction received TS flaps and 20 patients with good adduction received MS flaps. RESULTS: The data failed to show any difference in location of flap base and in flap width at rest. During function, TS flaps demonstrated statistically significant widening of the flap base. TS flaps, but not MS flaps, often had a bulge that appeared to assist velopharyngeal closure in some patients. Speech evaluation revealed that both flap types corrected velopharyngeal insufficiency equally well. CONCLUSIONS: TS flaps were not wider than MS flaps, and functional plasticity of the TS flap appeared essential for elimination of velopharyngeal insufficiency. Contribution of postoperative adaptation of the pharyngeal wall adduction remains to be clarified.

Adaptation of pharyngeal wall adduction after pharyngeal flap surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this investigation was to study lateral pharyngeal wall adduction relative to pharyngeal flaps of different widths. The hypothesis to be tested was that pharyngeal wall adduction does not increase postoperatively but may decrease due to the mechanical hindrance of a wide flap. DESIGN: In this prospective study, adaptation of lateral pharyngeal wall adduction during speech was studied relative to pharyngeal flaps of different widths utilizing videoradiography. Flap width was determined nasopharyngoscopically. SETTING: All patients were treated by the Stockholm Cleft Palate Team, Sweden. PATIENTS: Fifty-three patients were strictly selected by discarding conditions known to exert uncontrolled influence on velopharyngeal sphincter function. RESULTS: The results revealed a potential for adaptation of pharyngeal wall adduction to different flap widths. The magnitude and character (increase or decrease) of change in adduction was significantly correlated with the degree of preoperative adduction and with the width of the flap. In patients with limited preoperative adduction, pharyngeal wall activity increased, more in the presence of a narrow flap while less if the flap was wide. When preoperative adduction was pronounced, the postoperative activity decreased because of mechanical hindrance by the flap, and the degree of impediment was correlated to the width of the flap. CONCLUSION: A potential for increased lateral pharyngeal wall adduction after pharyngeal flap surgery was verified, but the result cannot be interpreted as generally applicable because of the strict selection of patients.

Velopharyngeal incompetence and persistent hypernasality after adenoidectomy in children without palatal defect.

Persistent hypernasal speech after adenoidectomy has been reported in children with palatal deficiency. Hypernasality after adenoidectomy can also occur in children with normal palatal function. The aim of the present study was to identify the cause of velopharyngeal incompetence and hypernasality after adenoidectomy in children who did not have palatal defect as a predisposing factor. Sixteen children who developed hypernasality after adenoidectomy were included in the present study. Standard lateral cephalometry, videofluoroscopy, and nasopharyngoscopy were performed to visualize the velopharynx and its function during speech. The results showed that enlarged tonsils and prominent remaining adenoid tissue on the posterior pharyngeal wall were the causes of hypernasality in these children. Incomplete removal of the adenoid tissue should be avoided and enlarged tonsils should be removed at the time of adenoidectomy to prevent the risk for postoperative hypernasality.

Comparison of tongue position during speech before and after pharyngeal flap surgery in hypernasal speakers.

Tongue position was cineradiographically analyzed during speech, before and after pharyngeal flap surgery, in 19 hypernasal cleft palate speakers with acceptable articulation and in 10 noncleft reference individuals. The results showed that the position of the tongue was significantly retracted during production of the consonants (/ti/, /ki/, and /ka/) in the cleft palate speakers with VPI compared to the reference individuals. Following pharyngeal flap surgery, the position of the tongue remained different in cleft palate speakers compared to reference individuals, although the articulation quality and resonance were evaluated to have normalized in almost all the speech samples produced by cleft palate speakers. It was suggested that the cleft palate speakers with VPI may exploit the plasticity of the speech system in order to achieve perceptually good speech, even though their tongue movements might be different from tongue movement in noncleft speakers.

The influence of pharyngeal flap on facial growth. Long-term results in the patients with isolated cleft palate.

The facial growth of 22 children from 6 to 17 years of age with repaired isolated cleft palate was studied. Eleven patients had had posterior pharyngeal flap surgery at about 7 years of age and were examined one year before, and three and 10 years after, flap surgery. The other eleven patients served as matched references. The convexity of the facial profile decreased significantly in both groups. There were differences in growth between the two groups in the variables that concerned mandibular position and anterior facial height. The results indicated that the reference individuals had achieved more anterior growth rotation during the development of the face. There was no improvement in mandibular retrognathism in the flap group until the patients were 10 years of age, but the mandible then resumed the normal anterior rotation and had caught up with the reference group after puberty, to result in a facial form with no significant difference from that in adolescents with cleft palate and without pharyngeal flaps. We suggest that the influence of a pharyngeal flap on facial growth has no long term clinical importance in patients with an isolated cleft palate, but the impact of the temporary change in facial growth after pharyngoplasty should be taken into consideration when orthodontic treatment is planned.

Oronasal fistulas in cleft palate patients and their influence on speech.

The size, site, and influence on speech of oronasal fistulas were studied in 12 patients with unilateral and 32 with bilateral cleft lip and palate. There were more and larger fistulas in the bilateral group. The series was divided into: those with fistulas that affected speech (group A, n = 18) and those with fistulas that did not affect their speech (group B, n = 26). Group A had significantly larger fistulas than group B, but there were no differences in the sites of the fistulas, either between the bilateral and unilateral groups or between groups A and B. Most fistulas were located in the region of the incisive foramen or in the hard palate. Judgements by listeners and analyses by the NORAM instrument were made of the speech of 12 of the patients in group A before and after temporary covering of the fistulas. Significant differences in hypernasality, according to both listener's judgments and instrumental analyses were found. This finding is further evidence that an oronasal fistula can influence and contribute to velopharyngeal dysfunction.

Interactive influence of a pharyngeal flap and an adenoid on maxillofacial growth in cleft lip and palate patients.

The aim was to evaluate whether a large adenoid, which aids velopharyngeal function, influences facial growth and if a pharyngeal flap reinforces the effect. Forty cleft palate patients were divided into two groups: adenoid and nonadenoid. Twenty of the patients had a pharyngeal flap operation. All the patients had three cephalograms taken at the same ages over a period of 5 years. At an average age of 4.7 years, i.e., one year before any pharyngoplasty, the mandibular inclination was larger in the adenoid group. This inferioposterior mandibular position was aggravated when a flap was added and with age. The present study suggests that the nasopharyngeal space, which is indicative of nasal airway patency, is influenced by a pharyngeal flap as well as an adenoid which, in turn, influences facial growth direction in the cleft palate population. Airway variables ought to be taken into consideration when the growth effect of cleft palate treatment is evaluated.

Facial growth after pharyngeal flap surgery in cleft palate patients: a five-year longitudinal study.

To assess the influence of a pharyngeal flap on facial morphology in patients with cleft lip and palate, we studied prospectively 20 consecutive patients with cleft lip and palate aged 4 to 9 years who needed a pharyngeal flap. We also studied a control group of 20 subjects matched with regard to age, sex, diagnosis, and method of primary treatment. Facial growth was followed for five years, beginning one year before operation. Before operation there was no significant difference between the operated group and the reference group as far as skeletal facial dimensions and angular measurements were concerned. The longitudinal comparison within each group showed that there was a change in mandibular growth direction backwards and downwards in the operated group. The changes in facial growth after pharyngeal flap operation were similar to those reported in patients with enlarged adenoids. Four years after operation, the change in the direction of mandibular growth did not result in any specific facial form that could be identified clinically.

Speech in unilateral and bilateral cleft palate patients from Stockholm.

The speech of 84 patients with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate and 19 patients with complete bilateral cleft lip and palate was judged by professional listeners and compared with a control group of 40 noncleft subjects. The unilateral cleft group consisted of two subgroups: one group of 45 patients, who were treated with presurgical orthopedics before primary surgery, and one group of 39 patients, who were not. The speech of the patients and the noncleft subjects was tape recorded and randomly mixed prior to listener judgments. No significant differences in articulation or resonance were found between the subgroups of unilateral cleft patients. The results also indicated that the bilateral cleft patients had poorer speech and needed more speech therapy than the unilateral cleft patients. All cleft patients were found to have poorer speech than the noncleft subjects in spite of considerable speech therapy and complementary surgical treatment. This has resulted in a change in the Stockholm approach toward earlier palatal surgery, tailor-made pharyngeal flap operations, and earlier parental information and treatment of articulatory deviations.

Tongue posture in cleft palate patients with a pharyngeal flap.

Position of the tongue was studied in lateral cineradiographic pictures of 15 patients with cleft palate and velopharyngeal incompetence, and from ten unaffected reference subjects. The patients were examined before and after pharyngoplasty. Before operation there was no difference in the degree of tongue/velum contact between the patients and the reference subjects, but after the operation, contact was lost in 13 of the 15 patients because the tongue was lowered and the velum raised by the pharyngeal flap. This contradicts the previous theory that the position of the tongue should be expected to be higher to maintain the posterior oral seal. The tongue was in a more posterior position in the patients than in the reference subjects both before and after operation. After operation the tip of the tongue retracted into the anterior oral cavity. The posterior and downward change in position of the tongue may account for part of the posterior and downward growth pattern of the lower third of the face which occurs in children after pharyngoplasty. A loss of tongue-lip balance around the premaxilla may be one of the factors that causes the maxillary retrusion that has been reported after pharyngoplasty in patients with cleft palates.

Comparison between multiview videofluoroscopy and nasendoscopy of velopharyngeal movements.

The videofluoroscopic and nasopharyngoscopic observations of velopharyngeal movements during speech were compared in 80 subjects with hypernasal speech. An endviewing flexible fiberoptic endoscope was used for nasopharyngoscopic examination. This failed to demonstrate movements of the lateral pharyngeal walls that were videofluoroscopically documented in one third of the patients. In the cases of disagreement, the angle of view was impaired because of the presence of adenoid tissue. The misinterpretation at nasopharyngoscopy was explained by an unfavorable observation position of the flexible scope and failure to pass it further into the pharynx. Conclusions are satisfactory that videofluoroscopy is an indispensable procedure for assessing velopharyngeal function.

A cineradiographic study of velopharyngeal movements for deviant versus nondeviant articulation.

Five patients who displayed both glottal stop compensations and normal articulatory placement and production during connected speech and also had weak pressure articulatory consonants and hypernasal resonance had cineradiographic study of their velopharyngeal movements. The results showed that velopharyngeal movements were impaired during weak pressure consonants whereas velopharyngeal valving was maximal when articulation was not impaired. Velopharyngeal movements were the worst when glottal stop substitutions were produced. Poor quality or absence of velopharyngeal movements in connection with deviant articulation could be erroneously interpreted as weakness or incapability of motor activity if nondeviant articulation is not observed in individual patients.

Standardization for the reporting of nasopharyngoscopy and multiview videofluoroscopy: a report from an International Working Group.

A multidisciplinary International Working Group of scientists was assembled to address the question of standardizing reporting techniques for multiview videofluoroscopy and nasopharyngoscopy, the generally accepted standards for direct observation of the velopharyngeal valve. This report is a first attempt to propose standards while seeking feedback from the readership in order to further develop a common methodology.

Intraindividual change in the occurrence of Passavant's ridge due to change in velopharyngeal sphincter function: a videofluoroscopic study.

Passavant's ridge was studied by means of videofluoroscopy and nasopharyngoscopy in 80 patients with hypernasal speech. In patients with Passavant's ridge an improvement of the sphincter function was found to be associated with an enlargement of the ridge. It was also observed that the ridge could disappear if complete velopharyngeal closure was achieved without surgical intervention of the ridge area. The results indicate that Passavant's ridge is of compensatory origin.

Influence of tonsils on velopharyngeal movements in children with craniofacial anomalies and hypernasality.

Velopharyngeal activity and tongue and tonsil movements were examined cineradiographically in the connected speech of 40 hypernasal children with craniofacial disorders--20 with small tonsils and 20 with large tonsils. The tonsils were defined as large when they obstructed two thirds or more of the pharyngeal space; they were considered small if the obstruction was one fourth or less of the pharyngeal space. In patients with small tonsils, consistent velopharyngeal activity was seen most of the time, regardless of the position of the back of the tongue during speech. An association between large tonsils and decreased velopharyngeal activity was found for speech sounds articulated in the back of the mouth. Therefore when examining velopharyngeal activity in hypernasal children, it is important that the speech material include syllables and words with speech sounds articulated in the back of the mouth.