PURPOSE: To verify whether patients with marginal velopharyngeal dysfunction modify the laryngeal resistance as a strategy to achieve complete velopharyngeal closure during speech. METHODS: Nineteen patients of both genders with repaired cleft palate with marginal velopharyngeal closure and ages varying from 12 to 47 years, and 18 patients of both genders without cleft palate (control group), with ages between 14 and 35 years were assessed. Laryngeal resistance (R), intraoral air pressure (Po) and the oronasal airflow (Vº) were obtained through an aerodynamics evaluation using the PERCI-SARS system during the production of the syllable /pa/, with and without nasal occlusion. RESULTS: Mean values of laryngeal resistance (R), intraoral air pressure (Po) and oronasal airflow (Vº), for the group with marginal velopharyngeal dysfunction, were, respectively, 34.8±10.8 cmH2O/L/sec, 4.8±1.4 cmH2O, 144.8±34.0 mL/s without nasal occlusion, and 34.0±14.3 cmH2O/L/sec, 4.8±1.1 cmH2O, 150.9±38.7 mL/s with nasal occlusion. In the control group, the mean values were 39.2±13.4 cmH2O/L/sec, 4.8±0.8 cmH2O, 133.9±50.2 mL/s, respectively, for the same variables. There was no statistically significant difference (p<0.05) between the groups regarding mean values of laryngeal resistance (R), intraoral air pressure (Po) and oronasal airflow (Vº). CONCLUSION: These results showed that the patients with marginal velopharyngeal closure studied did not modify laryngeal resistance.
Velopharyngeal insufficiency; Cleft palate; Larynx; Speech; Voice
