The maximum phonation time and temporal aspects in Korean stops in children with spastic cerebral palsy

경직형 뇌성마비 아동의 최대 발성지속시간과 파열음 산출 시 조음시간 특성 비교

This study evaluated the respiratory capacity of spastic cerebral palsy children who were grouped by GMFCS (Gross Motor Function Classification System) levels and identified the acoustic characteristics of three different types of Korean stops (stop consonants) which are needed for the temporal coordination of larynx and supra-larynx, in these children. Thirty-two children with dysarthria due to spastic cerebral palsy were divided into two subgroups: 14 children classified at GMFCS levels I~III were placed in Group 1 and 18 classified at GMFCS levels IV~V were placed in Group 11, and 18 children with normal speech were selected and placed in the control group. /a/ pronged phonation (sustained vowel /a/) and nine Korean VCV syllables were used. Examined acoustic characteristics were maximum phonation time (MPT) and closure duration and aspiration duration. The results were as follows: 1) The MPTs of the cerebral palsy (CP) groups, both Group I and Group II, were significantly shorter than those of the normal group. 2) The closure durations of the two CP groups were longer than those of the normal group for all 9 target syllables. 3) The aspiration durations of the two CP groups were longer than those of the normal group. 4) The closure duration of the normal and CP Group I was significantly different among tense, aspirated, and lax. However, the CP Group II was different from normal. 5) The aspiration duration of the normal and CP Group I was significantly different among aspirated, tense, and lax. However, the CP Group II was different from normal. 6) The place of articulation influenced less than the manner of articulation on closure and aspiration duration.