Modeled velopharyngeal orifice area prediction during simulated stop consonant production in the presence of increased nasal airway resistance.

This project examined modeled velopharyngeal orifice area estimation under conditions simulating voiceless stop consonant production in the presence of nasal airway obstruction. The results indicated that accurate estimates of velopharyngeal orifice area can be obtained using Warren's hydrokinetic equation during aerodynamic events like those known to exist during speech in the presence of increased nasal airway resistance. These findings provide support for clinical and research use of Warren's pressure-flow approach to investigate velopharyngeal function during speech production.