Acoustic analysis of nasalance and formants in VPI patients: Implications for clinical practice and mobile...

Velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) often results in speech abnormalities, making accurate evaluation essential for understanding its relationship with structural anomalies. This retrospective study, spanning January 2019 to December 2022, investigates the role of formant analysis in speech evaluation and treatment. We analyzed speech data from 100 adults, 55 children, and 10 pediatric patients with VPI using Nasometer and PRAAT software, focusing on the sounds Pa, Pi, Pu, Pe, and Po. Nasalance scores and formants 1-4 were measured both pre- and post-VPI surgery and correlated with age, gender, and surgical outcomes. In both normal adults and children, the distributions of formants 1 and 2 for the vowels |a|, |e|, |i|, |o|, and |u| showed variations by age. Gender differences were significant in adults for the vowels |a|, |o|, and |u|, but not in children. VPI surgery significantly improved nasalance scores, and notable changes in formants 1 and 2 were observed post-surgery in VPI patients for the vowels |a|, |e|, and |i|. This study emphasizes the importance of formant analysis in speech therapy and introduces the potential for mobile app-based self-assessment. This approach reduces the reliance on specialized tools, such as nasometers, and provides a more accessible method for the speech management.