Visualising Speech: Ultrasound Visual Biofeedback for Cleft Palate

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Visualising Speech: Using Ultrasound Visual Biofeedback to Diagnose and Treat Speech Disorders in Children with Cleft Lip and Palate

• IRAS ID

  220761

• Contact name

  Joanne Cleland

• Contact email

  joanne.cleland@strath.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Strathclyde

• ISRCTN Number

  ISRCTN15543219

• Duration of Study in the UK

  1 years, 6 months, 31 days

• Research summary

  Children with cleft lip and palate (CLP) often continue to have problems producing clear speech long after the clefts have been surgically repaired, leading to educational and social disadvantage. For these children, speech and language therapy is required to diagnose the specific type of speech disorder present and provide intervention. Currently, this is undertaken by listening to speech and transcribing it. This is problematic because clinicians disagree on transcriptions and using listening methods only can miss imperceptible but important errors (e.g., instead of producing “t” with the tip of the tongue, producing it incorrectly with both the tip and back of the tongue). This project will develop a technical solution for improving diagnosis of speech disorders in children with CLP (study 1) and trial an innovative treatment (study 2). Ultrasound Visual Biofeedback (U-VBF) uses ultrasound placed under the chin to provide a real-time view of the tongue during speech. By recording and analysing these movements during speech we observe errors which are impossible to hear, leading to better diagnosis and treatment planning. In addition to developing it as a diagnostic tool, we will trial U-VBF as a therapy for children with CLP, using the real-time image of the tongue moving to correct speech disorders.

• REC name

  West of Scotland REC 1

• REC reference

  17/WS/0045

• Date of REC Opinion

  15 Mar 2017

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion