Abstract
A video tape recording system yielding views at 60 fields per second was coupled with a nasopharyngeal fiberscope(NPF) to perform a field by field analysis of velopharyngeal movement.
A simultaneous video-fiberscopy and video-fluoroscopy was used to determine validity of measurement. Eight normal speaking adults were utilized to examine "timing" of velar closure, maximum velar elevation, and maximum lateral wall movement toward a standard time point which was determind as onset of articulatory release or voicing during successive phoniatric event. The speech samples consisted of /a/, /V, /u/, /e/, and /o/ in isolated production, and /p/ in /pa/ and /npana/ productions.
The results indicate the followings.
1) The proposed procedure provides reliable and valid data about continuous changes of velar and lateral wall movements and portal dimension.
2) Using NPF measurements, th e magnitude of movement could be estimated within subject, but not across subjects, because of lack of a scale marker.
4) Analysis of timing of velar closure toward a standard time point appears to be useful for evaluating velopharyngeal closing function among various individuals.
