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Assessment of orofacial dysfunction using the NOT-S method in a group of Turkish children with cerebral palsy
Alev Alaçam1, Buket Ceylan Çalık Yılmaz2, Arzu Sukran Incioğlu1
1Departmant of Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Gazi University, Emek Neighborhood, 8th Street, C Block 6th Floor, Cankaya, Ankara, Turkey.
Insights
Children with cerebral palsy show significant orofacial dysfunctions (OFD). The Nordic Orofacial Test-Screening (NOT-S) effectively identified these issues, highlighting the need for targeted multidisciplinary therapies.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Speech-Language Pathology
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Orofacial dysfunctions (OFD) are common in children with cerebral palsy (CP).
- Early identification of OFD is crucial for effective multidisciplinary therapy.
- The Nordic Orofacial Test-Screening (NOT-S) is a validated tool for assessing OFD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate orofacial dysfunctions in Turkish children with cerebral palsy using the NOT-S.
- To identify factors associated with OFD in this population.
- To compare orofacial function between children with CP and a healthy control group.
Main Methods:
- The Nordic Orofacial Test-Screening (NOT-S) was administered to 84 children (aged 3-16 years).
- The study included 42 children with cerebral palsy and 42 healthy controls.
- Two experienced examiners conducted the NOT-S interview and clinical examination.
Main Results:
- Children with cerebral palsy exhibited significantly higher NOT-S scores compared to healthy controls (p < 0.001).
- The most prevalent dysfunctions were in facial expression (55.9%), chewing/swallowing (52.4%), and sensory function (47.6%).
- Statistical analysis confirmed significant differences in total scale scores between the groups.
Conclusions:
- The NOT-S protocol is an effective and valuable tool for screening orofacial dysfunctions in Turkish children with cerebral palsy.
- The findings underscore the high prevalence of OFD in this population.
- This screening facilitates the implementation of appropriate multidisciplinary interventions.
Objectives:
A healthy determination of orofacial findings of children with cerebral palsy is important as this will lead us to utilize perfect multidisciplinary therapies of orofacial dysfunctions (OFD). Nordic Orofacial Test-Screening (NOT-S) is a comprehensive screening method of OFD which consists of a structured interview and clinical examination. The aim of our study was to evaluate the orofacial dysfunctions in a group of Turkish children with cerebral palsy using Nordic Orofacial Test-Screening (NOT-S) and find out the factors associated with OFD comparatively with a healthy group.
Materials And Methods:
NOT-S was applied to 84 children aged 3-16 years. Forty-two children with cerebral palsy were included in the study group and 42 healthy children were randomly selected for the control group. Two trained and calibrated examiners who were experienced on NOT-S interview and examination of the validity and reliability of the Turkish version performed screening and interpreted the results.
Results:
NOT-S interview and clinical examination subscale scores of children with cerebral palsy were higher and found to be statistically significant (Mann-Whitney U test; p < 0.001). The total scale score of the cerebral palsy group was also statistically significant (p < 0.001). The most common dysfunctions were in the facial expression area (55.9%) and in the chewing and swallowing area (52.4%) following in sensory function area (47.6%).
Conclusions:
The results of this study indicated that the NOT-S protocol was an effective and valuable tool for the comprehensive screening of orofacial dysfunctions in a group of Turkish children with cerebral palsy.
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