title: Hypernasality and velopharyngeal impairment.
abstract: Although the primary cause of hypernasality is impaired velopharyngeal (VP) function, a variety of other factors influence the outcome perceived by the listener. The purpose of the current study was to assess the relationship between oral-nasal resonance balance and (1) velopharyngeal orifice area; (2) nasal airflow rate; and (3) duration of nasal airflow. The pressure-flow technique was used to estimate VP area and measure nasal airflow rate and duration. Ratings of oral-nasal balance were made on a 6-point equal-appearing interval scale. Results indicated a moderate correlation between hypernasality rating and VP area (0.66), nasal airflow (0.61), and nasal airflow duration (0.53). Adults tended to be perceived as more hypernasal than children for a given degree of VP impairment. Finally, when the degree of VP opening was small, perceived oral-nasal resonance balance appeared to be related to duration of the opening-closing movements.
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina Craniofacial Center, Department of Dental Ecology, School of Dentistry, Chapel Hill 27599-7455.
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Dalston
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mayo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000399:Air Pressure; D000403:Airway Resistance; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000503:physiopathology; D009666:Nose / Q000503:physiopathology; D015588:Observer Variation; D010160:Palate, Soft / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010614:Pharynx / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000295:instrumentation; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors; D014160:Transducers, Pressure; D014681:Velopharyngeal Insufficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014833:Voice Quality