[Electromagnetic articulography: a new method for studying the motor function of the velum palatinum]

The observation of articulatory movements, particularly of velar movements, is of considerable theoretical and practical interest in evaluating the velopharyngeal function of the cleft palate patient. A new electromagnetic device is presented for tracking the movements of the velum and the tongue simultaneously in correlation with the posterior pharyngeal wall and the hard palate in the midsagittal plane. An inductive measuring principle is used; a miniature transmitting coil is placed at the lower margin of the velum, another coil is used for recording the position of the posterior pharyngeal wall as well as the surface of the hard palate and the movements of the tongue dorsum. The measuring principle is described and the movements of the velum during speech production are demonstrated in cleft palate patients with different speech results.