Electropalatography for articulation disorders associated with cleft palate

Area of Science:

• Speech-Language Pathology
• Craniofacial Anomalies
• Augmentative and Alternative Communication

Background:

• Cleft palate is a common congenital facial deformity impacting speech acquisition and articulation.
• Articulation errors in cleft palate patients can persist into adulthood, often requiring specialized speech therapy.
• Electropalatography (EPG) is a tool used in speech therapy for articulation issues unresponsive to conventional methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of speech intervention utilizing electropalatography (EPG) for articulation errors in individuals with repaired cleft palate.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across multiple databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, etc.) and handsearched journals.
• Inclusion criteria focused on randomized controlled trials comparing EPG intervention with no treatment, delayed treatment, standard treatment, or alternative techniques.
• Data extraction and quality assessment were performed by one author and verified by a second.

Main Results:

• Only one small-scale randomized controlled trial met the inclusion criteria; no meta-analysis was conducted.
• The trial suggested fewer therapy sessions were needed for EPG therapy with frication display (N=2), followed by EPG therapy (N=2), compared to standard treatment (N=2).

Conclusions:

• The single included trial had significant methodological limitations, including unclear allocation concealment and lack of blinding.
• Current evidence for EPG's efficacy in treating cleft palate articulation errors is not robust.
• Further high-quality randomized controlled trials are necessary to establish the effectiveness of EPG interventions.