title: The prevalence of apraxia characteristics in patients with velocardiofacial syndrome as compared with other cleft populations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to assess the oral-motor function of children with a history of cleft lip and palate, cleft palate only, velocardiofacial syndrome, and children with normal oral structures to determine if children with velocardiofacial syndrome have more apraxia characteristics than the other populations have.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Apraxia Profile (Hickman, 1997) was administered to all participants in a prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The investigation was conducted at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, 10 children with cleft lip and palate, 10 with cleft palate only, 7 with velocardiofacial syndrome, and 47 with normal structures were tested.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study revealed that when compared with children with normal structures, children with cleft lip and palate did not demonstrate significant apraxia characteristics, children with cleft palate only demonstrated some apraxia characteristics, and children with velocardiofacial syndrome demonstrated the most apraxia characteristics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There appears to be a high prevalence of apraxia characteristics in the speech of patients with velocardiofacial syndrome. This information has implications for the type of treatment recommended. Further investigation is warranted with a larger patient population and a focus on the association of abnormal brain structure with apraxia in this population.
authors.affiliation: Speech Pathology Department, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, and Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3039, USA. ann.kummer@cchmc.org
authors.forename: Ann W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Kummer
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Lindsay Schaadt
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Stutz
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maroney
authors.forename: Jennifer Weidenbach
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Brandt
mesh_terms: D001072:Apraxias / Q000209:etiology*; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D002648:Child; D002663:Child Language; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000150:complications*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000150:complications*; D004062:DiGeorge Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology; D009055:Mouth / Q000503:physiopathology; D010700:Phonetics; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D013065:Speech Intelligibility