CHANGES OF VELOPHARYNGEAL MOTILITY IN PAT IENTS WITH DYSARTHRIA

In this study we developed another method for the detection of nasopha ryngeal closing patterns. This investigation of dynamic closure patter ns was based on flexible video-nasopharyngoscopy and was undertaken in both healthy subjects and patients with dysarthria. Quantitative asse ssments of pharyngeal wall excursions allowed evaluation of closure pa tterns which were then matched with a predefined, mathematically-based algorithm. The results showed that a greater velopharyngeal constrict ion was maintained in the following order: resonants, open vowels, for ced expiration, closed vowels, consonants, and swallowing. variations in phonetic expressions of phonemes mainly interfered with velum excur sion, whereas the lateral pharyngeal mucosal wall was minimally involv ed and the posterior wa II portions were unaffected.Velopharyngeal clo sure patterns varied with different tasks: the velum was mainly moved for phonetic parameters,while lateral and posterior pharyngeal wall mo tion was observed on a large scale for swallowing. Comparison of subje ct groups revealed that patients with dysarthrias had reduced velar mo tility, leading to a more frequent hyper nasal sound. Here, lateral ph aryngeal walls showed a variable motility that in some cases was even more than in healthy subjects. Both groups exhibited qualitatively com parable velopharyngeal closure patterns, but significant differences w ere proved in their distributions.