The cleft lip and palate (CLP) is one of the most common craniofacial malformations in humans. We collected functional magnetic resonance data of 23 CLP patients before rehabilitation training (Bclp) and 23 CLP patients after rehabilitation training (Aclp), who were performing Chinese character pronunciation tasks, and performed brain activation analysis to explore the changes of brain mechanism in CLP patients after articulation disorder rehabilitation training. The study found that Aclp group had significant activation in the motor cortex, Broca area, Wernicke area and cerebellum. While the Bclp group had weak activation in the motor cortex with a small activation range. By comparing the differences and co-activated brain regions between the two groups, we found that rehabilitation training increased the activity level of negatively activated brain areas (cerebellum, left motor area, Wernicke area, etc.) to a positive level. At the same time, the activity level of weakly activated brain areas (right motor area, Broca area, etc.) was also increased. Rehabilitation training promoted the activity level of articulation-related brain regions. So that the activation intensity of articulation-related brain regions can be used as a quantifiable objective evaluation index to evaluate the effect of rehabilitation training, which is of great significance for the formulation of rehabilitation training programs.
Humans ; Articulation Disorders/therapy* ; Brain/diagnostic imaging* ; Cleft Lip/diagnostic imaging* ; Cleft Palate/diagnostic imaging* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Speech Therapy/psychology*

The prevention, prenatal diagnosis and postnatal treatment of cleft lip and palate form a comprehensive treatment process requiring multidisciplinary participation. Prevention and treatment of cleft lip and palate involve multiple disciplines. The timing of professional intervention often cross and overlap, intervention and the sequence of treatment had a great influence on the outcome of the treatment. In the meantime, under the premise of the change of national fertility policy, the reproductive needs of families with cleft lip and palate, such as fertility intervention and diagnosis etc., should be paid attention to through the whole chain of pre-pregnant, prenatal and post-natal interventions. Therefore, this paper proposes a multidisciplinary treatment process for the comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of cleft lip and palate. It primarily combs and standardizes the discipline composition, data preparation, consultation contents, personnel, time and technical points of the consultation records of the multidisciplinary treatment in antenatal, postnatal, infant, adolescent, adult and reproductive stages of cleft lip and palate.
Adolescent ; Cleft Lip/therapy* ; Cleft Palate/therapy* ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Ultrasonography, Prenatal

BACKGROUND: Velopharyngeal insufficiency that accompanies speech resonance and articulation disorders can be managed through several intervention methods such as speech-language therapy, prosthetic aids, and surgery. However, for patients with severe hypernasality, surgical interventions are highly recommended. Among available surgical techniques, the posterior pharyngeal flap is most common. CASE PRESENTATION: Two adult males with high nasalance scores underwent superiorly based posterior pharyngeal flap surgery, followed by speech testing by an expert speech-language therapist. Nasalance scores and articulation accuracy were assessed up until 1 year after the surgery. Nasalance scores were measured five times using a nasometer, after which the average value was calculated. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent declines in hypernasality over time are not easy to explain since the pedicled pharyngeal flap narrowed over time, secondary to cicatrization. However, scar tethering of the soft palate in a posterior direction could reduce the velopharyngeal port size over time. Therefore, long-term follow-up with intensive speech therapy is suggested for patients with severe hypernasality.
Adult ; Articulation Disorders ; Cicatrix ; Cleft Palate ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Palate, Soft ; Speech Therapy ; Velopharyngeal Insufficiency

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effectiveness of hypnotic and musical relaxation therapy and psychological consultation for parents of children with cleft lip and/or palate (CLP) and to provide a scientific basis of clinical-psychological treatment options.

METHODSSixty-six subjects with children with CLP participated in this study. The subjects were randomly assigned to a test group (n = 33) and a control group (n = 33). The test group was treated with hypnotic and musical relaxation therapy; the control group were subjected to psychological consultation. Anxiety and depression states were evaluated by using a self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and a self-rating depression scale (SDS) before and after treatment was administered.

RESULTS1) The test group demonstrated a significant decrease in SAS and SDS scores (t = 2.855, P < 0.01; t = 2.777, P < 0.01). The control group showed a significant decrease in the SAS score (t = 1.831, P < 0.05) but failed to show a significant change in the depression score (t = 0.909, P > 0.05). 2) The test group yielded a higher percentage of remission indicated by the SDS scores than the control group (test group = 75.76%; control group = 60.61%; P < 0.05). The test group also displayed a higher percentage of remission indicated by the SAS scores than the control group (test group = 78.79%, test group = 69.70%; P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONHypnotic and musical relaxation therapy can more effectively reduce the scores of the anxiety and depression states of the parents of patients with cleft lip and/or palate than psychological consultation.

Anxiety ; psychology ; therapy ; Child ; Cleft Lip ; psychology ; Cleft Palate ; psychology ; Depression ; psychology ; therapy ; Humans ; Hypnosis ; Music ; Parents ; psychology ; Relaxation Therapy ; methods ; Self-Assessment

Velopharyngeal dysfunction in cleft palate patients following the primary palate repair may result in nasal air emission, hypernasality, articulation disorder and poor intelligibility of speech. Among conservative treatment methods, speech aid prosthesis combined with speech therapy is widely used method. However because of its long time of treatment more than a year and low predictability, some clinicians prefer a surgical intervention. Thus, the purpose of this report was to increase an attention on the effectiveness of speech aid prosthesis by introducing a case that was successfully treated. In this clinical report, speech bulb reduction program with intensive speech therapy was applied for a patient with velopharyngeal dysfunction and it was rapidly treated by 5months which was unusually short period for speech aid therapy. Furthermore, advantages of pre-operative speech aid therapy were discussed.
Articulation Disorders ; Cleft Palate ; Humans ; Methods ; Palate ; Prostheses and Implants ; Speech Therapy* ; Velopharyngeal Insufficiency

OBJECTIVETo discuss the treatment characteristics of secretory otitis media (SOM) in cleft palate children.

METHODSA total of 319 patients (524 ears) with SOM and cleft palate (3-14 years old) who accepted treatment were divided into experiment group A, group B, and group C according to effusion characteristics in the middle ear and tympanic pressure. Group A included 112 patients with serous effusion (198 ears). Group B included 162 patients with mucinous effusion (248 ears). Group C included 45 patients (78 ears) with negative pressure in the middle ear without effusion and an acoustic immittance. A total of 208 patients (246 ears) with SOM and tonsil and adenoid hypertrophy were divided into control group Al, group B1, and group Cl matched with the same effusion characteristics in the middle ear and tympanic pressure. Group A and Al accepted puncture in the tympanic cavity, group B and B1 accepted tympanostomy tubes, and group C and Cl accepted puncture in the tympanic cavity after palatoplasty, adenoidectomy, and tonsillectomy. All groups were treated with antibiotics and ear drops. Cure rate and recurrence rate between the experiment group and the control group were compared.

RESULTSThe control group had a better cure rate [93.09% (229/246)] than the experiment group [77.29% (405/524)] 12 months after treatment. The experiment group had a higher recurrence rate [14.57% (59/405)] than the control group [3.93% (9/229)]. Statistical differences were observed between the two groups (P<0.05). SOM with cleft palate initially had a low cure rate, and thus it was treated repeatedly for many times.

CONCLUSIONSOM with cleft palate is different from normal otitis media in terms of clinical manifestation, treatment, outcome, and prognosis. This case should be considered a special otitis media to be treated with special examination and therapy to obtain better results. Repeated puncture in the tympanic cavity and tympanostomy tubes for six months according to effusion characteristics are better treatment options for patients with SOM and cleft palate.

Child ; Cleft Palate ; Humans ; Middle Ear Ventilation ; Otitis Media with Effusion ; therapy ; Prognosis ; Recurrence

BACKGROUND: Speech problems are a common clinical feature of the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. The objectives of this study were to inventory the speech history and current self-reported speech rating of adolescents and young adults, and examine the possible variables influencing the current speech ratings, including cleft palate, surgery, speech and language therapy, intelligence quotient, and age at assessment. METHODS: In this cross-sectional cohort study, 50 adolescents and young adults with the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (ages, 12-26 years, 67% female) filled out questionnaires. A neuropsychologist administered an age-appropriate intelligence quotient test. The demographics, histories, and intelligence of patients with normal speech (speech rating=1) were compared to those of patients with different speech (speech rating>1). RESULTS: Of the 50 patients, a minority (26%) had a cleft palate, nearly half (46%) underwent a pharyngoplasty, and all (100%) had speech and language therapy. Poorer speech ratings were correlated with more years of speech and language therapy (Spearman's correlation= 0.418, P=0.004; 95% confidence interval, 0.145-0.632). Only 34% had normal speech ratings. The groups with normal and different speech were not significantly different with respect to the demographic variables; a history of cleft palate, surgery, or speech and language therapy; and the intelligence quotient. CONCLUSIONS: All adolescents and young adults with the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome had undergone speech and language therapy, and nearly half of them underwent pharyngoplasty. Only 34% attained normal speech ratings. Those with poorer speech ratings had speech and language therapy for more years.
Adolescent* ; Cleft Palate ; Cohort Studies* ; Demography ; DiGeorge Syndrome* ; Humans ; Intelligence ; Language Therapy ; Speech Therapy ; Young Adult* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The velopharynx is a tridimensional muscular valve located between the oral and nasal cavities, consisting of the lateral and posterior pharyngeal walls and the soft palate, and controls the passage of air. Velopharyngeal insufficiency may take place when the velopharyngeal valve is unable to perform its own closing, due to a lack of tissue or lack of proper movement. Treatment options include surgical correction, prosthetic rehabilitation, and speech therapy; though optimal results often require a multidisciplinary approach for the restoration of both anatomical and physiological defect. We report a case of 56 year old male patient presenting with hypernasal speech pattern and velopharyngeal insufficiency secondary to cleft palate which had been surgically corrected 18 years ago. The patient was treated with a combination of speech therapy and palatal lift prosthesis employing interim prostheses in various phases before the insertion of definitive appliance. This phase-wise treatment plan helped to improve patient's compliance and final outcome.
Cleft Palate ; Compliance ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Male ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; Nasal Cavity ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Palate, Soft ; Prostheses and Implants ; Speech Therapy ; Velopharyngeal Insufficiency

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We aimed to develop a Korean version of the velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) speech corpus system. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: After developing a 3-channel simultaneous speech recording device capable of recording nasal/oral and normal compound speech separately, voice data were collected from VPI patients aged more than 10 years with/without the history of operation or prior speech therapy. This was compared to a control group for which VPI was simulated by using a french-3 nelaton tube inserted via both nostril through nasopharynx and pulling the soft palate anteriorly in varying degrees. The study consisted of three transcriptors: a speech therapist transcribed the voice file into text, a second transcriptor graded speech intelligibility and severity and the third tagged the types and onset times of misarticulation. The database were composed of three main tables regarding (1) speaker's demographics, (2) condition of the recording system and (3) transcripts. All of these were interfaced with the Praat voice analysis program, which enables the user to extract exact transcribed phrases for analysis. RESULTS: In the simulated VPI group, the higher the severity of VPI, the higher the nasalance score was obtained. In addition, we could verify the vocal energy that characterizes hypernasality and compensation in nasal/oral and compound sounds spoken by VPI patients as opposed to that characgerizes the normal control group. CONCLUSION: With the Korean version of VPI speech corpus system, patients' common difficulties and speech tendencies in articulation can be objectively evaluated. Comparing these data with those of the normal voice, mispronunciation and dysarticulation of patients with VPI can be corrected.
Aged ; Articulation Disorders ; Cleft Palate ; Compensation and Redress ; Database Management Systems ; Demography ; Humans ; Nasopharynx ; Palate, Soft ; Speech Intelligibility ; Speech Therapy ; Velopharyngeal Insufficiency ; Voice

The five major areas of concern in craniofacial surgery are the cleft lip and palate, hemifacial microsomia, craniosynostosis and its accompanying craniofacial syndromes, maxillofacial surgery, and breakthrough research on the each of these. Furlow's double opposing Z-plasty and 2-flap palatoplasty are often used to correct the cleft palate. Hereafter, the most appropriate surgical timing and methods must be determined through a prospective randomized control study. Currently, Millard's rotation advancement flap technique is generally used to correct the cleft lip. The repair of a cleft lip and especially a bilateral cleft lip is supplemented by presurgical orthodontics. Effort toward mastering the simultaneous repair of the nose continues. For hemifacial microsomia, distraction osteogenesis, orthognathic surgery, and fat injection is employed to correct facial asymmetry. Tissue engineering will soon be introduced as a treatment option. Currently, craniosynostosis is treated with methods such as total calvarial vault remodeling, endoscopic suturectomy, and distraction osteogenesis. In the future, a simpler and less invasive surgical technique must be developed. Maxillofacial (orthognathic) surgery generally refers to the bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy and LeFort I osteotomy. In the future, minimally invasive surgical techniques using endoscopes or robots will be introduced. Through the development of recombinant DNA technology, genetic research of craniofacial anomalies has identified many relevant genes. In the future, gene therapy will be plausible. Through advancements in tissue engineering, regeneration of tissue to correct congenital craniofacial deformities through autologous stem cells and scaffolds will be conceivable in the near future.
Cleft Lip ; Cleft Palate ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Craniosynostoses ; DNA, Recombinant ; Endoscopes ; Facial Asymmetry ; Genetic Research ; Genetic Therapy ; Korea ; Nose ; Orthodontics ; Orthognathic Surgery ; Osteogenesis, Distraction ; Osteotomy ; Osteotomy, Sagittal Split Ramus ; Palate ; Prospective Studies ; Regeneration ; Stem Cells ; Surgery, Oral ; Tissue Engineering