Palatal morphology changes in post-stroke patients measured by geometric morphometrics.

Area of Science:

• Oral anatomy
• Neurology
• Biomedical engineering

Background:

• Stroke can affect neuromuscular control, potentially influencing oral structures.
• Longitudinal studies on post-stroke palatal morphology are limited.
• Understanding these changes is crucial for rehabilitation and oral health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate longitudinal changes in palatal shape in post-stroke patients compared to healthy controls.
• To utilize linear measurements and 3D geometric morphometrics for detailed analysis.
• To correlate observed changes with potential functional deficits.

Main Methods:

• Acquired 3D palatal scans from seven stroke patients and seven age-matched controls at two time points (T0 and T1, 1-year interval).
• Performed linear measurements (intercanine/intermolar distances, palatal height).
• Utilized geometric morphometrics, including Principal Component Analysis and color maps, to analyze shape variations.

Main Results:

• No significant linear or shape changes were observed in healthy controls between T0 and T1.
• Stroke patients showed no significant linear palatal differences.
• Geometric morphometrics revealed slight narrowing of the lateral palatal vault in stroke patients at T1 compared to T0.

Conclusions:

• Post-stroke palatal shape alterations, specifically lateral narrowing, may occur within one year.
• Altered tongue function following a stroke is a potential contributing factor.
• These findings highlight the need for further research into the functional-morphological interplay in post-stroke patients.