Morphological Changes Occur in the Brains of Children With Non-Syndromic Cleft Lip and Palate After Speech Therapy

Abstract

Objective

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of speech therapy on cerebral morphology in patients with non-syndromic cleft palate with or without cleft lip (NSCP ± L) related articulation disorders using structural magnetic resonance imaging technology.

Design

A prospective pre–post intervention study.

Setting

This study was conducted in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and the Medical Imaging Center of a tertiary hospital.

Patients/Participants

A total of 24 children with NSCP ± L, aged 6–16 years, who had undergone cleft palate surgery but still presented with articulation disorders.

Interventions

These patients received standardized speech therapy and were divided into the before therapy scans group (bTherapy Scans) and after therapy scans group (aTherapy Scans). By using high-resolution T1-weighted cerebral magnetic resonance imaging scans.

Main Outcome Measure(s)

Cerebral gray matter volume (GMV), cortical thickness (CT), fractal dimension (FD), and sulcus depth (SD).

Results

Compared with the bTherapy Scans, the aTherapy Scans showed a significant increase in GMV in the left middle frontal gyrus and left medial orbital frontal lobe; a significant increase in CT and FD in the left rostral middle frontal gyrus; and a significant increase in SD in the right lateral orbital frontal lobe region.

Conclusions

Speech therapy not only effectively improves the articulatory function of children with NSCP ± L-related speech disorders, but its effects may also be associated with structural remodeling of brain regions related to speech motor planning and emotional regulation.