Cerebellum structure differences and relationship to speech in boys and girls with nonsyndromic cleft of the lip and/or palate.
OBJECTIVE
To identify regional cerebellar structural differences in boys and girls with nonsyndromic cleft of the lip and/or palate and determine whether these differences are related to speech impairment.


METHODS
Between 2003 and 2007, measures on cerebellar volume were obtained on 43 children with nonsyndromic cleft of the lip and/or palate and 43 age- and sex-matched, healthy controls. Children with the cleft condition also received speech evaluations. Children with nonsyndromic cleft of the lip and/or palate were recruited from clinic records, and controls (screened for medical, psychiatric, speech/language, and behavioral concerns) were recruited from the local community. All tests were administered at a large midwestern hospital. Boys and girls with nonsyndromic cleft of the lip and/or palate were compared with the healthy controls on global and regional measures of cerebellar volume. Areas of significant difference were then correlated with measures of speech to assess relationships in children with nonsyndromic cleft of the lip and/or palate.


RESULTS
Boys with nonsyndromic cleft of the lip and/or palate had smaller cerebellums than controls (p = .002); whereas, for girls, only regional reductions in size reached significance (corpus medullare, p = .040). Cerebellum size was correlated with articulation for boys (p = .045).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings lend support to previous research documenting abnormal brain structure in children with nonsyndromic cleft of the lip and/or palate and suggest that the cerebellum may play a role in speech deficits along with other structural causes, at least in boys.
Conrad
Amy L
AL
Department of Psychiatry Research, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA. Amy-L-Conrad@uiowa.edu
Dailey
Scott
S
Richman
Lynn
L
Canady
John
J
Karnell
Michael P
MP
Axelson
Eric
E
Nopoulos
Peg
P
D000293:Adolescent; D001184:Articulation Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D012737:Sex Factors; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology*; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D014681:Velopharyngeal Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis