Investigations of a Pressure-Sensitive Theory of Marginal Velopharyngeal Inadequacy

Abstract

The results of part one confirmed that children in group 1 were perceived as being significantly more hypernasal than children in group 2 (mean(group 1) = 2.17, mean(group 2) = 1.50; t = 2.75, p =.01). However, results of endoscopic testing failed to demonstrate a consistent observable physiologic pattern of velopharyngeal inadequacy that would confirm the theory that some patients with MVPI are perceived as being hypernasal because of difficulty achieving velopharyngeal closure during vowels and semivowels. CONCLUSIONS; The findings provide partial support for a pressure-sensitive theory of MVPI and demonstrate the value of using both HP and LP sentences to evaluate patients with MVPI.