The Correlation Between Nasalance and a Differentiated Perceptual Rating of Speech in Dutch Patients With Velopharyngeal Insufficiency

Abstract

A low correlation between the nasalance and the perceptual rating of hypernasality was found. The parameter overall grade of severity appeared to be determined mainly by the parameter intelligibility. Expertise in rating of cleft palate speech does not guarantee a high correlation between instrumental measurement and perceptual rating.

Correlação entre nasalância e nasalidade em crianças com hipernasalidade

“…In the present study, by correlating the nasalance scores with the auditory perceptual judgments, the results showed that, although statistically significant, the correlation was low (between 0.31 and 0.37). These results corroborate with previous findings 16 which also found a low correlation between the two variables, differing, however, with studies that found high 9,11-13 or moderate 14,15 correlations between speech nasality and the nasalance scores.…”

“…If however, the judges had been instructed to judge only the "presence" or "absence" of hypernasality, the correlations between the nasalance and nasality could be better. According to discussions presented in the literature 14 , the high correlation between nasalance and nasality judgments previously reported in other studies 9,11 for example, may be explained by the fact that the hypernasality of the patients investigated have varied from mild to severe. This argument leads us to think that a possible explanation for the low correlation between the nasalance and nasality in the present study is due to the fact that most of the children included in the study had mild hypernasality, according to the auditory perceptual judgment of the three judges.…”

“…In general, the literature indicates that the correspondence between auditory perception judgment and nasometry is not absolute 14 . In the present study, by correlating the nasalance scores with the auditory perceptual judgments, the results showed that, although statistically significant, the correlation was low (between 0.31 and 0.37).…”

“…Regarding the nasalance scores, it is stressed that the studies that found a high 9,11,13 or moderate 14,15 correlation between the nasalance and nasality used texts such as speech stimulus or set of phrases 9 . Some authors 34 investigated the minimum extent that the speech stimuli might have to keep the same result of nasalance of the original stimulus is composed of adults and children with varying degrees of hypernasality (ranging from mild to severe), unlike the present study which was limited to children, predominantly with mild hypernasality values.…”

“…With regard to the correlation between the measures of nasalance and the perceptual auditory judgment of nasality, results obtained in previous studies showed that this correspondence is not absolute, nor linear. While some of these studies reported high correlation between these two aspects with the use of oral stimulus 9,11-13 other reported moderate correlations 14,15 and even lower correlations 16 . This wide variation in results has been attributed to methodological differences to correct the cleft.…”