A cineradiographic study of velopharyngeal movements for deviant versus nondeviant articulation

Five patients who displayed both glottal stop compensations and normal articulatory placement and production during connected speech and also had weak pressure articulatory consonants and hypernasal resonance had cineradiographic study of their velopharyngeal movements. The results showed that velopharyngeal movements were impaired during weak pressure consonants whereas velopharyngeal valving was maximal when articulation was not impaired. Velopharyngeal movements were the worst when glottal stop substitutions were produced. Poor quality or absence of velopharyngeal movements in connection with deviant articulation could be erroneously interpreted as weakness or incapability of motor activity if nondeviant articulation is not observed in individual patients.