A Study of Normal Nasalance and Velopharyngeal Port Activity in the Speech of Korean Adults

정상 성인의 비음도와 비인강 활성도에 관한 연구

The purpose of this study was to obtain normative nasalance scores for adult subjects speaking the Korean language. Additional objectives of the study were to determine if speaker sex played a role in differences in nasalance score and there was significantly correlation of nasalance score with nasalance slope score. The subjects include 75 healthy young Korean adults with normal oral and velopharyngeal resource and function. They had no history of speech problem, were judged as having normal speech and resonance at the time of testing, and had no upper respiratory tract infections or allergies at the time of testing. The Nasometer II 6400 was used to obtain nasalance scores and nasalance slope scores for /a/, /i/, /e/, /o/, /u/, /ja/, /je/, /wi/, /p'ap'i/ and /sasi/. The data of nasalance and nasalance slope were analyzed statistically. The mean nasalance score of the female was significantly higher than that of male at /a/, /i/, /wi/, /p'ap'i/ and /sasi/(p <0.10). The mean nasalance score of /i/ was highest and that of /o/ was the lowest. In this study, we could not and the relationship of the nasalance score and the closing slope score. However, there was negative correlation between the mean nasalance score and the opening slope score at ie/ and /;ai, positive to /sasi/. These normative nasalance scores for normal young adults speaking the Korean language provide important reference information for Korean cleft palate teams. In the future study of velopharygneal activity with the Nasometer, the opening slope score will be able to be the important parameter.