Does the type of cleft have an impact on language results? Validation of the Nasalance test in French.

Objectives: The nasometer is the most widely used tool for objective assessment of phonation in both research and clinical practice. French standards have been validated in cases of total cleft lip and palate. The objective of this research is to propose a second validation study on velopalatal clefts.

Normative data on nasalance scores for French speaking children.

Introduction: The objectives of this study are to establish normative nasalance values in European French for children aged 8-10 years, to study the factors likely to influence nasalance values, and to ensure that the nasometer allows the differentiation of control subjects from subjects with velopharyngeal insufficiency.

Methods: Nasal balance scores were calculated using the Nasometer II 6450 (KayPENTAX) for 50 control subjects producing 31 verbal stimuli specifically designed for the French language. Nasalance scores were analyzed and compared with 7 subjects with velopharyngeal insufficiency.

Speech evaluation after intravelar veloplasty. How to use Borel-Maisonny classification in the international literature?

Objective: Comparing functional outcomes after velar repair appeared to be difficult because of the absence of international standardized scale. Moreover most of the studies evaluating speech after cleft surgery present multiple biases. The aim of our study was to assess speech outcomes in a homogeneous group of patients, and to define an equivalence table between different speech scales.