Pharyngeal wall motion in prosthetically managed cleft palate adults

Area of Science:

• Speech Pathology
• Otolaryngology
• Anatomy

Background:

• Cleft palate significantly impacts speech.
• Prosthetic speech appliances are used to manage speech disorders in cleft palate patients.
• Understanding pharyngeal wall activity is crucial for speech function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the pharyngeal wall activity during speech in adults with cleft palate using prosthetic speech appliances.
• To investigate the role of the levator veli palatini muscle and Passavant's ridge in speech.
• To observe the influence of prosthetic speech appliances on auditory tube function.

Main Methods:

• Fiberoptic nasoendoscopy was employed to visualize pharyngeal wall activity.
• The study included five adult participants with a history of cleft palate and long-term prosthetic speech appliance use.
• Activity was assessed during speech tasks.

Main Results:

• Maximal muscle activity was observed in the levator veli palatini muscle and Passavant's ridge during speech.
• No significant gross activity was noted in the superior auditory tube area.
• Pharyngeal wall soft tissue medialization appeared secondary to levator muscle influence, with variable activity.

Conclusions:

• The levator veli palatini muscle and Passavant's ridge play a key role in speech in adults with cleft palate using prosthetic appliances.
• Auditory tube function is not grossly affected superiorly, with medial movement being a secondary effect.
• Individual variability in pharyngeal activity exists even with long-term prosthetic use.