Electropalatographic assessment of tongue-to-palate contact patterns and variability in children, adolescents, and adults.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the developmental time course of tongue-to-palate contact patterns during speech from childhood to adulthood using electropalatography (EPG) and a comprehensive profile of data analysis.


METHODS
Tongue-to-palate contacts were recorded during productions of /t/, /l/, /s/, and /k/ in 48 children, adolescents and adults (aged 6-38 years) using the Reading Electropalatograph system.


RESULTS
A protracted course of development for lingual control was indicated, with significant changes occurring until age 11 years; the adolescent period was in turn characterized by continual refinement of articulatory control. With maturity, a reduction in the amount of palatal contact and an anterior shift in the place of articulation was evident during anterior consonant productions, whereas the tongue-back-to-palate contact pattern became more consistent for the velar stop /k/.


CONCLUSIONS
These results support that maturation of the speech motor system is nonuniform.
Cheng
Hei Yan
HY
Division of Speech Pathology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072 Australia. y.cheng@shrs.uq.edu.au
Murdoch
Bruce E
BE
Goozée
Justine V
JV
Scott
Dion
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D010159:Palate / Q000502:physiology*; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology*; D014059:Tongue / Q000502:physiology*