The Use of Palatal Lift Prosthesis for Patients with Velopharyngeal Insufficiency resulting from Acquired Neurologic Disease

Abstract

Thirty-nine dysarthric patients with Velopharyngeal insufficiency resulting from acquired neurologic diseases were treated with a palatal lift prosthesis (PLP). The following results were obtained from motor speech examinations carried out prior to and after construction and placement of the PLP according to each patient's ability, as well as comprehensive evaluations by both the patient and 2 speech therapists. 1. Although prolongation of consonants /s/ and /f/ and diadochokinesis improved almost parallel with soft blowing time and blowing ratio in many patients immediately after construction and placement of the PLP, they did not always agree with data for prolongation of vowels /a/ and /i/. 2. Speech intelligibility improved significantly (more than 10%) in 15 patients, slightly (less than 10%) in 3, remained unchanged in 13, and declined in 2. 3. When asked to give their overall evaluation, 11 patients rated the results “satisfactory,” 4 “almost satisfactory,” 8 “acceptable,” 9 “undecided,” and 7 “unsatisfactory.” In the opinions of the 2 speech therapists, 4 cases were evaluated “very useful,” 14 were “useful,” 12 were “slighty useful,” and 9 were “not useful.” 4. Tissue tolerance to the prosthesis was good in all patients. Adverse effects of the PLP were observed in 6 patients (nasal congestion : 1, unnaturalness : 2, dysphagia : 2, nasal congestion and unnaturalness : 1). © 1988, The Japan Society of Logopedics and Phoniatrics. All rights reserved.