Magnetic resonance imaging assessment of the velopharyngeal mechanism at rest and during speech in Chinese adults and children.
OBJECTIVE
Recent applications of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique introduced accurate 3-dimensional measurements of the velopharyngeal mechanism. Further standardization of the data acquisition and analysis protocol was successfully applied to imaging adults at rest and during phonation. This study was designed to test and modify a noninvasive protocol for evaluating young children without using general anesthesia. In addition, the velopharyngeal structures and their maximal motion were compared between adults and children.


METHODS
MRI data were acquired in 12 young adults and 9 children at rest and during speech production. Multiple measurements were made on the velopharyngeal and craniofacial structures as well as on the levator veli palatini muscle.


RESULTS
Most of the ratio measurements of structural shape and maximal motion in the velopharyngeal and craniofacial regions were not significantly different between the adults and the children, despite the fact that the children had much smaller structures than the adults.


CONCLUSIONS
The proportion of the velopharyngeal mechanism remains stable in young children and adults so that the motions of the velum and pharyngeal walls are adequate to close the velopharyngeal port completely.
Tian
Wei
W
University of Maryland at College Park, 0141D Lefrak Hall, College Park, MD 20742, USA. wtian@hesp.umd.edu
Yin
Heng
H
Redett
Richard J
RJ
Shi
Bing
B
Shi
Jin
J
Zhang
Rui
R
Zheng
Qian
Q
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D044466:Asian People; D002648:Child; D002663:Child Language; D005260:Female; D019416:Head Movements / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D007830:Larynx / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010160:Palate, Soft / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D010609:Pharyngeal Muscles / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D010699:Phonation / Q000502:physiology*; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult