Evaluating Velopharyngeal Function During Phonation in Children Utilizing Static MRI

Velopharyngeal imaging can improve surgical planning for children with a history of cleft palate who present with nasal speech which negatively impacts speech intelligibility. MRI is the only imaging technique that allows for visualization of the muscles of the throat and mouth (velopharynx) and is gaining popularity in many children's hospitals; however, typical velopharyngeal movement during phonation tasks is still poorly understood which negatively impacts interpretation of MRI data for clinical use. The current investigation aims to describe typical movement of the velopharynx in children without a history of cleft palate or hypernasal speech, as this could be used for comparison to children with hypernasal speech and can benefit surgical planning for children with hypernasal speech.

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