This study investigated the effect of speaking rate on aerodynamic and acoustic measures of velopharyngeal (VP) function in 27 adult speakers (14 M, 13 F). The pressure-flow method (Warren & Dubois, 1964) was used to collect aerodynamic data of /m/ and /p/ segments in the word “hamper” and the utterances “Mama made some lemon jam” (MMJ) and “Buy Bobby a puppy” (BBP). A Nasometer was used to collect nasalance scores and nasalance distance for MMJ and BBP. Measures were collected under 4 speaking rate conditions (normal, fast, slow, and slowest). Results indicated that nasal airflow and VP orifice area were unaffected by speaking rate whereas intraoral pressure decreased as speaking rate slowed. Nasalance was greater for BBP at slow speaking rates and nasalance distance (MMJ – BBP) decreased at slow rates. The data was interpreted with respect to expectations set forward in the literature on normal and disordered speech motor control.

This study investigated the effect of speaking rate on aerodynamic and acoustic measures of velopharyngeal (VP) function in 27 adult speakers (14 M, 13 F). The pressure-flow method (Warren & Dubois, 1964) was used to collect aerodynamic data of /m/ and /p/ segments in the word “hamper” and the utterances “Mama made some lemon jam” (MMJ) and “Buy Bobby a puppy” (BBP). A Nasometer was used to collect nasalance scores and nasalance distance for MMJ and BBP. Measures were collected under 4 speaking rate conditions (normal, fast, slow, and slowest). Results indicated that nasal airflow and VP orifice area were unaffected by speaking rate whereas intraoral pressure decreased as speaking rate slowed. Nasalance was greater for BBP at slow speaking rates and nasalance distance (MMJ – BBP) decreased at slow rates. The data was interpreted with respect to expectations set forward in the literature on normal and disordered speech motor control.

Introdução: Existem evidências clínicas de que os movimentos do mecanismo velofaríngeo (MVF) podem ser aumentados com o uso do obturador faríngeo a ponto de o mesmo ser descartado ou até que se consiga diminuir ao máximo o gap velofaríngeo. O aumento do movimento das paredes faríngeas torna o individuo um melhor candidato para correção cirúrgica da disfunção velofaríngea (DVF). Este aumento na atividade das paredes faríngeas, no entanto, não é um achado universal com o uso do obturador, principalmente para aqueles pacientes que apresentam articulações compensatórias ou que apresentam velofaringe hipodinâmica. Objetivo: O presente estudo tem por objetivo avaliar o movimento das estruturas do MVF durante a fala, em pacientes que apresentam insuficiência velofaríngea (IVF) e que fazem uso de obturador faríngeo. A avaliação foi realizada antes (C1) e após pelo menos seis meses de uso do mesmo (C2). Material e Método: A casuística foi constituída de 25 pacientes, com fissura de palato e/ou de lábio e palato (8 mulheres e 17 homens), com idades variando entre 20 e 47 anos (média= 36 anos). Todos os pacientes apresentavam IVF após a cirurgia de palato e utilizavam obturador faríngeo havia pelo menos 6 meses. Para a avaliação do MVF com e sem o obturador faríngeo, todos pacientes haviam sido submetidos à avaliação nasoendoscópica durante fala. As 50 video-gravações dos exames de nasoendoscopia (25 na condição C1 e 25 na condição C2) foram editadas em um DVD e avaliadas por três fonoaudiólogas experientes, designadas juízas, quanto aos seguintes aspectos: movimento do véu palatino, movimento das paredes laterais da faringe, tamanho e tipo do gap velofaríngeo e anel de Passavant. Para a avaliação foi utilizado o protocolo proposto por Golding-Kushner et al (1990), especialmente adaptado para este estudo. Resultados: Neste estudo o grau de concordância intra-juízas foi de 82% para a juíza A, e 62% para as juízas B e C, para todos os aspectos do MVF avaliados. Já o grau de concordância inter-juízas variou de 49 a 88%, com média de 69%. Apesar de não terem sido encontradas diferenças estatisticamente significantes entre as condições C1 e C2, observamos que 17 (68%) dos 25 pacientes avaliados apresentaram diferenças na atividade muscular em pelo menos um dos 11 aspectos estudados. Conclusão: Os achados deste estudo demonstraram mudanças na atividade velofaríngea sugerindo que o uso do obturador faríngeo no tratamento da DVF pode ser útil tanto no processo de diagnóstico (para identificação do potencial de mudança no funcionamento velofaríngeo e na fala) quanto durante o tratamento da IVF (otimizando os resultados cirúrgicos). / Introduction: There are clinical evidence that movements of velopharyngeal mechanism can be increased with the use of speech bulbs to the point of elimination of the bulbo or until the maximum reduction of the velopharyngeal gap is achieved. An increase in the movements of pharyngeal wall turns the individual to a better candidate for surgical correction of velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD). An increase in the activity of pharyngeal walls, however, is not an universal finding for all individual with speech bulbs, particularly for those Who use compensatory articulation or that present hypodynamic velopharynx.Objective: The present study has the objective of evaluate movement of the velopharyngeal structures during speech in patients with velopharyngeal insufficiency using speech bulbs. The evaluation was done before (C1) and at least 6 months after use of the bulb (C2).Material and Methods: The sample included 25 patients with cleft palate and/or cleft lip and palate (8 males and 17 females), with ages varying between 20 and 47 years (mean=36 years). All patients presented with velopharyngeal insufficiency and were using speech bulbs for at least 6 months. For the evaluation of the velopharyngeal mechanism with and without the speech bulb, all patients were submitted to nasoendoscopic evaluation during production of speech. All 50 video-recordings (25 in the C1 condition and 25 in the C2 condition) were edited into a DVD and evaluated by three experienced speech-language pathologists who judged the samples regarding the following aspects: movement of velum, movement of pharyngeal walls, type and size of velopharyngeal gap and Passavants Pad. For this study was used the protocol proposed by Golding-Kushner et al (1990), specially adapted for this evaluation.Results: In this study intra-judge agreement of 82% was found for judge A, and 62% for judges B and C, when all aspects rated were considered. Inter-judge agreement varied between 49% and 88% with a mean of 69%. Even though a significant difference was not found between the pré and pot speech bulb conditions, 17 (68%) subjects presented with differences in velopharyngeal activity in at least on of the 11 aspects studied. Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrated changes in the velopharyngeal activity suggesting that the use of speech bulbs during treatment of VPD can help the diagnostic process (in the identification of the potential for changes of velopharyngeal functioning and of speech) and also can help in the treatment (by optimizing surgical results).

Introdução: Existem evidências clínicas de que os movimentos do mecanismo velofaríngeo (MVF) podem ser aumentados com o uso do obturador faríngeo a ponto de o mesmo ser descartado ou até que se consiga diminuir ao máximo o gap velofaríngeo. O aumento do movimento das paredes faríngeas torna o individuo um melhor candidato para correção cirúrgica da disfunção velofaríngea (DVF). Este aumento na atividade das paredes faríngeas, no entanto, não é um achado universal com o uso do obturador, principalmente para aqueles pacientes que apresentam articulações compensatórias ou que apresentam velofaringe hipodinâmica. Objetivo: O presente estudo tem por objetivo avaliar o movimento das estruturas do MVF durante a fala, em pacientes que apresentam insuficiência velofaríngea (IVF) e que fazem uso de obturador faríngeo. A avaliação foi realizada antes (C1) e após pelo menos seis meses de uso do mesmo (C2). Material e Método: A casuística foi constituída de 25 pacientes, com fissura de palato e/ou de lábio e palato (8 mulheres e 17 homens), com idades variando entre 20 e 47 anos (média= 36 anos). Todos os pacientes apresentavam IVF após a cirurgia de palato e utilizavam obturador faríngeo havia pelo menos 6 meses. Para a avaliação do MVF com e sem o obturador faríngeo, todos pacientes haviam sido submetidos à avaliação nasoendoscópica durante fala. As 50 video-gravações dos exames de nasoendoscopia (25 na condição C1 e 25 na condição C2) foram editadas em um DVD e avaliadas por três fonoaudiólogas experientes, designadas juízas, quanto aos seguintes aspectos: movimento do véu palatino, movimento das paredes laterais da faringe, tamanho e tipo do gap velofaríngeo e anel de Passavant. Para a avaliação foi utilizado o protocolo proposto por Golding-Kushner et al (1990), especialmente adaptado para este estudo. Resultados: Neste estudo o grau de concordância intra-juízas foi de 82% para a juíza A, e 62% para as juízas B e C, para todos os aspectos do MVF avaliados. Já o grau de concordância inter-juízas variou de 49 a 88%, com média de 69%. Apesar de não terem sido encontradas diferenças estatisticamente significantes entre as condições C1 e C2, observamos que 17 (68%) dos 25 pacientes avaliados apresentaram diferenças na atividade muscular em pelo menos um dos 11 aspectos estudados. Conclusão: Os achados deste estudo demonstraram mudanças na atividade velofaríngea sugerindo que o uso do obturador faríngeo no tratamento da DVF pode ser útil tanto no processo de diagnóstico (para identificação do potencial de mudança no funcionamento velofaríngeo e na fala) quanto durante o tratamento da IVF (otimizando os resultados cirúrgicos). / Introduction: There are clinical evidence that movements of velopharyngeal mechanism can be increased with the use of speech bulbs to the point of elimination of the bulbo or until the maximum reduction of the velopharyngeal gap is achieved. An increase in the movements of pharyngeal wall turns the individual to a better candidate for surgical correction of velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD). An increase in the activity of pharyngeal walls, however, is not an universal finding for all individual with speech bulbs, particularly for those Who use compensatory articulation or that present hypodynamic velopharynx.Objective: The present study has the objective of evaluate movement of the velopharyngeal structures during speech in patients with velopharyngeal insufficiency using speech bulbs. The evaluation was done before (C1) and at least 6 months after use of the bulb (C2).Material and Methods: The sample included 25 patients with cleft palate and/or cleft lip and palate (8 males and 17 females), with ages varying between 20 and 47 years (mean=36 years). All patients presented with velopharyngeal insufficiency and were using speech bulbs for at least 6 months. For the evaluation of the velopharyngeal mechanism with and without the speech bulb, all patients were submitted to nasoendoscopic evaluation during production of speech. All 50 video-recordings (25 in the C1 condition and 25 in the C2 condition) were edited into a DVD and evaluated by three experienced speech-language pathologists who judged the samples regarding the following aspects: movement of velum, movement of pharyngeal walls, type and size of velopharyngeal gap and Passavants Pad. For this study was used the protocol proposed by Golding-Kushner et al (1990), specially adapted for this evaluation.Results: In this study intra-judge agreement of 82% was found for judge A, and 62% for judges B and C, when all aspects rated were considered. Inter-judge agreement varied between 49% and 88% with a mean of 69%. Even though a significant difference was not found between the pré and pot speech bulb conditions, 17 (68%) subjects presented with differences in velopharyngeal activity in at least on of the 11 aspects studied. Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrated changes in the velopharyngeal activity suggesting that the use of speech bulbs during treatment of VPD can help the diagnostic process (in the identification of the potential for changes of velopharyngeal functioning and of speech) and also can help in the treatment (by optimizing surgical results).