Somatosensory-evoked magnetic fields in examining lip area in speech-disordered children.

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a modern neurophysiological method to study brain activation after sensory stimulation. We aimed at determining the feasibility of MEG and somatosensory-evoked magnetic fields (SEFs) in assessing the lip area in speech-disordered children undergoing oral plate therapy (OPTH) to improve their articulation. Seven subjects (age range, 6-11 years) participated in the study. The speech was perceptually assessed, and the SEFs to tactile stimulation of the lip area were recorded before and after OPTH. Two patients did not attend the posttreatment MEG recording. Clinical perceptual analysis showed remarkable improvement of speech of the studied children after OPTH. Somatosensory-evoked magnetic fields were successfully recorded in 4 of these children, but no constant changes in the responses were found after the therapy.With this small number of patients, the possible modifications in the functioning of the cortical somatosensory area of the lip after OPTH remained undetected. The present method is, however, technically applicable in studying cortical responses to lip stimulation in speech-disordered children. Further studies using stimulation inside the mouth may provide more insight to the cortical effects of OPTH.

Changes in articulatory proficiency following microvascular reconstruction in oral or oropharyngeal cancer.

Articulatory proficiency of /r/ and /s/ sounds, voice quality and resonance, speech intelligibility, and intraoral sensation were examined prospectively before operation, and at four time points during a 1-year follow-up after microvascular transfer. Forty-one patients with a large oral or oropharyngeal carcinoma undergoing tumor resection and free-flap reconstruction usually combined with radiotherapy participated in the study. Articulation, voice, and resonance were investigated both live and from recorded speech samples by two trained linguistic examiners. The patients completed a self-rating of their speech intelligibility and were assessed for anterior intraoral surface sensation by means of 2-point moving discrimination. Misarticulations of /r/ and /s/ increased significantly after the therapy. Voice quality and resonance remained essentially normal. Speech intelligibility deteriorated significantly. Intraoral sensation decreased postoperatively but was not related to speech outcome. Sensate flaps did not prove to be superior in relation to speech tasks. A multidisciplinary approach is advocated in assessment of speech outcome after cancer surgery. Speech therapy is strongly recommended, even in the absence of a gross articulatory handicap.

Cephalometric pharyngeal changes after Le Fort I osteotomy in different types of clefts.

Fifty patients with clefts (30 unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP), 9 bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP), and 11 cleft palate only (CP), mean age 25 years) treated with Le Fort I osteotomy were compared retrospectively from cephalograms taken shortly before operation, and at six months and one year postoperatively. Patients with bimaxillary surgery or previous velopharyngoplasty, or both, were excluded. Maxillary advancement was moderate in all groups. One year postoperatively there was a significant change (73%-90% of the surgical advancement) in the sagittal depth of the nasopharyngeal airway but not in the depth of the oropharyngeal airway, the length of the soft palate or the position of the hyoid bone. The nasopharyngeal airway was largest in the CP group both preoperatively and postoperatively. Eleven patients (7 CP, 4 UCLP) had a velopharyngoplasty after the osteotomy to improve their speech. There was no difference in the nasopharyngeal airway in the patients treated by velopharyngoplasty compared with those not so treated, but they seemed to have the shortest maxillas and the greatest surgical changes vertically.

The accessibility of a new oral motor pacifier to infants.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to examine whether infants would accept an oral motor pacifier (OMP). CHILDREN AND METHODS: Sixteen infants were examined for their immediate acceptance of an OMP. The pacifier was regarded as accepted, if the child took it in the mouth and kept it there actively, i.e. sucked it in one way or other. Their parents were informed verbally and in writing literally about how to offer the OMP to the child and how to use it. The OMP was presented to the child and the child permitted to insert it into her/his mouth by her/himself or if the child failed to do so, the OMP was gently put to the child's mouth. The subjects' reactions were structurally evaluated in terms of 11 statements. The parents of the children received a structured questionnaire with a space for optional free comments and personal opinions. RESULTS: The median age (6 females, 10 males) was 18 months (mean 19.2 months, s.d. 10.6 and range 2-38 months). The statement scores showed no significant differentiation based on the age of the subject. The parents' reports indicated that 14 (87.5%) of the 18 subjects accepted the OMP, 13 (81.3%) enjoyed watching the pacifier as it was shown to them, and 11 (68.8%) explored it with their fingers while holding it in their hands. CONCLUSION: The vast majority of the children accepted the new OMP either at the first trial or after a few trials.

Cephalometric pharyngeal changes after Le Fort I osteotomy in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate.

Pharyngeal changes after Le Fort I osteotomy were evaluated cephalometrically in 37 patients (27 M, 10 F; mean age 23.8 years) with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP). Seven patients had previously undergone velopharyngeal (VPP) flap surgery to improve speech. One year postoperatively the patients without previous VPP showed a significant change (55%-85% of the surgical change) in the upper and lower sagittal depth of the nasopharyngeal airway, but not in the depth of oropharyngeal airway, length of soft palate, or position of hyoid bone. No significant changes were observed between 6 months and 1 year postoperatively. Mean surgical horizontal advancement was 4.7 mm and the mean vertical lengthening 4.7 mm anteriorly and 1 mm posteriorly. There was a correlation between the amount of horizontal advancement and the amount of change in the nasopharyngeal airway. The patients with previous VPP showed significant postoperative change (85% of the surgical change) only in the lower nasopharyngeal airway, although their surgical advancement was similar to that without previous VPP. Patients with previous VPP showed significantly smaller depths of upper nasopharyngeal airway postoperatively than the patients without previous VPP. Five patients (13%) needed VPP after the osteotomy. There was no difference in the nasopharyngeal airway in the patients with VPP after the osteotomy when compared to those without, but they seemed to have shortest maxillary lengths and largest mean surgical changes vertically both anteriorly (5.5 mm) and posteriorly (2.3 mm). Moderate maxillary advancement in UCLP patients results in significant changes in the nasopharyngeal airway.

Craniofacial characteristics and velopharyngeal function in cleft lip/palate children with and without adenoidectomy.

The association between velopharyngeal function, craniofacial morphology and adenoidectomy was investigated using 27 craniofacial and nasopharyngeal variables taken from lateral cephalograms. The sample consisted of 96 boys with cleft palates with or without cleft lips. They were examined at 6 years of age when cephalograms were obtained and perceptual speech assessments were performed. The subjects were divided into three groups: (1) velopharyngeal competence (VPC, n = 45); (2) mild incompetence not requiring velopharyngoplasty (VPI, n = 36); and (3) previous incompetence operated on with velopharyngoplasty ad modum Hoenig (VPP, n = 15) before the 6-year examination. The groups were further divided into two subgroups according to previous adenoidectomy (Ad+, Ad-). The cranial base, size and interrelationship of the maxilla and mandible and their relationship to the cranial base or the bony nasopharynx did not differ among the VPC, VPI and VPP groups. The sagittal depth of the nasopharyngeal airway (Pm-ad1, Pm-ad2, Pm-ad3) was significantly wider in the VPP group than in the the VPC and VPI groups. The previous adenoidectomy decreased the thickness of the posterior pharyngeal wall (ad1-Ba, ad2-so) and thus increased airway size. The length of the velum did not differ between the three groups or their subgroups with and without adenoidectomy. The results showed that adenoidectomy is a risk to velopharyngeal function by widening the nasal airway, but velopharyngeal incompetence cannot definitely be attributed to adenoidectomy.