Respiratory response to a decrease in velopharyngeal resistance.

Individuals with congenital velopharyngeal impairment generally maintain adequate levels of intraoral pressures during consonant production by increasing respiratory effort. The purpose of the present study was to determine if normal individuals respond to a decrease in velopharyngeal resistance in a similar way. The velar mechanism was perturbed by having subjects voluntarily lower the soft palate during a series of words involving plosive consonants.