COMPARISON OF VELOPHARYNGEAL GAP SIZE IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERNASALITY,HYPERNASALITY AND NASAL EMISSION, OR NASAL TURBULENCE (RUSTLE) AS THEPRIMARY SPEECH CHARACTERISTIC
Aw. Kummer et al., COMPARISON OF VELOPHARYNGEAL GAP SIZE IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERNASALITY,HYPERNASALITY AND NASAL EMISSION, OR NASAL TURBULENCE (RUSTLE) AS THEPRIMARY SPEECH CHARACTERISTIC, The Cleft palate-craniofacial journal, 29(2), 1992, pp. 152-156
Velopharyngeal insufficiency was assessed using multiview videofluoros
copy on eight patients with hypernasality, 10 patients with hypernasal
ity and audible nasal emission, and 10 patients with nasal turbulence
(rustle). Patients demonstrating hypernasality, with or without audibl
e nasal emission, were found to have a significantly larger velopharyn
geal gap than those with nasal rustle. This finding suggests that the
degree of the velopharyngeal insufficiency can be predicted to some ex
tent based on perceptual assessment. If the presence of a nasal rustle
suggests a small velopharyngeal gap, despite the severe distortion of
speech, then speech therapy should be considered prior to surgery in
those cases.