LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 14:2 February 2014
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
         C. Subburaman, Ph.D. (Economics)
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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Voice Onset Time (VOT) in Kannada Speaking Children with
Cleft Palate: A Pre- and Post-Operative Comparison

R. Gopi Sankar, M.Sc. (Speech & Hearing)
M. Pushpavathi, Ph.D. (Speech & Hearing)
Sathish V.H. MS, DNB (Gen. Surgery), M.Ch., DNB (Plastic Surgery)

Abstract

Background and Objective

The speech of children with cleft lip and palate (CLP) is characterized by lack of abnormal intraoral pressure which leads to misarticulation of pressure consonants. This often results in unintelligible speech due to variable voice onset time (VOT) in pressure consonants. Surgical procedures and speech therapy have often been found to bring adequate changes in the acoustic parameters in the speech of children with CLP. Hence the aim of the present study was to investigate the changes in VOT in children with CLP in the pre and post operative condition and to compare with typically developing children.

Method

The study included subjects in Group I consisted of five children with unrepaired CLP and palate who underwent surgery later (group II) and group III consisted of age and gender matched typically developing children with normal oro-facial structures. All the subjects were native speakers of Kannada language (a Dravidian language spoken in south India) and were in the age range of 5 -14 years. Eight Kannada meaningful bisyllabic words loaded with stop consonants (/p/, /?/, /k/, /b/, /?/, and /g/) in CVCV combination were selected as stimuli and these words were repeated by the children, which were audio recorded and acoustically analyzed using Praat software.

Results

The VOT data was subjected to statistical analysis to compare the changes across and within group. Results showed that VOT in children with CLP was longer in the pre operative conditions compared to that of the control group and VOT in post-operative condition was longer compared to the VOT in pre-operative condition. The results also explore the differences in VOT for pressure consonants based on place/manner of articulation.

Conclusions

The present study highlights the influence of the surgical correction of the palate on the acoustic characteristics and facilitates understanding the physiological changes in the oropharyngeal system.

Key words: Cleft lip and palate, acoustic analysis, palatoplasty, voice onset time.

Introduction

Speech is a complex form of human behavior, which is dependent upon the organic framework of central nervous system and the structure of the speaking mechanism of the body. It is also depend upon numerous environmental, psychosocial, and developmental factors. There are many causes for disordered speech, one among them is cleft lip and palate. Speech production in children with cleft lip and palate (CLP) has been studied using various methods. Acoustic analysis of speech is one such method which is used along with perceptual method.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

R. Gopi Sankar, M.Sc. (Speech & Hearing)
Research Officer
Department of Clinical Services
All India Institute of Speech and Hearing
Manasagangothri, Naimisham Campus
Mysore- 570006
Karnataka, India
Sankaj2002@gmail.com

Dr. M. Pushpavathi, Ph.D. (Speech & Hearing) Professor
Department of Speech Pathology
All India Institute of Speech and Hearing
Manasagangothri, Naimisham Campus
Mysore- 570 006
Karnataka, India
shivanna.pushpa@gmail.com

Satish. H. V., MS, DNB (Gen. Surgery), MCh., DNB (Plastic Surgery)
Director (Medical Services)
Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeon
Vikram Jeev Hospital
Yadhavagiri, Mysore - 570022
satish@vhpl.com
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