Computational Modeling for Prediction of Acoustic Changes in Vowel Production Due to Orthognathic Surgery (PUMA)

Computational Modeling for Prediction of Acoustic Changes in Vowel Production

A computational model of human sound production based on high quality anatomic measurements and physical laws of sound propagation cannot be accomplished without a comprehensive data set including both 3D-images of the speaker's anatomy and the simultaneous recording of speech. Since the computational model has separate models for the vocal folds and the vocal tract, patients undergoing an orthognathic surgery is an optimal test object for the model development. Vocal folds remain unchanged while substantial changes take place in the vocal tract. Moreover, since the aim of the research is to predict acoustic changes in speech due to operations in head neck area, the orthognathic patient group is par excellence an example of such a prediction problem. If the model can be shown to give valuable information pre-operationally, many other patient groups could benefit from the results.

Study Overview

• Status: Unknown
• Conditions: Facial Asymmetry; Jaw Deformity
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: MRI examination

Detailed Description

Orthognathic surgery deals with the correction of abnormalities of the facial tissues. The underlying cause for abnormality may be present at birth or acquired during the life as the result of distorted growth or trauma. Orthodontic treatment alone is not adequate in many cases due to severity of the deformities. In a typical operation, the position of either one jaw (mandible or maxilla) or both jaws is surgically changed in relation to the skull base. The movement of the jaw position varies usually between 5-15 mm either to anterior or posterior direction. Such a considerable movement has a very profound effect on the shape and volume of vocal tract resulting detectable changes in acoustics. Although the surgery involves mandibular and maxillary bone, changes occur also in the position and shape of respective soft tissues and hyoid bone, as well. For this project, 20 adult patients (10 women and 10 men) undergoing orthognathic surgery will be enrolled. Exclusion criteria include diseases and conditions in which MRI examination is contraindicated (.e.g. pace maker), severe speech or hearing impairment, and other situations where the patient has difficulties with completing the tasks defined in the research protocol. Furthermore, patients to whom segmental surgery of the jaws will be performed in connection of orthognathic surgery are excluded. A specific pre-selection criterion for patients is the presence of numerous dental amalgam fillings that may cause artifacts in MR images.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 20
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Finland
  • Turku, Finland, F!-20521 Turku
    • Recruiting
    • Turku University Hospital
    • Contact: Risto P Happonen, Professor; Phone Number: +358-50-4121477; Email: risto-pekka.happonen@tyks.fi

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 50 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

- Healthy patients undergoing orthognathic surgery

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with conditions in which MRI examination is contraindicated (e.g. pace maker)
• Patients who require several operations or segmented jaw surgery
• Patients with cognitive impairment
• Patients with numerous dental amalgam fillings that may cause artifacts in MR images

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Computational modeling

Other: MRI examination; The vocal and nasal tracts from the lips and nostrils to the beginning of the trachea are imaged with Siemens Avanto 1.5T MRI machine using carefully optimized, externally triggered imaging sequences that are synchronized with the rest of the experimental setting. A sound sample, given by the test subject, is recorded simultaneously to obtain a coupled data set: the speech sound and the precise anatomy which produces it.; Other Names: with Siemens Avanto 1.5T MRI machine

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Acoustic changes in vowel production of hte patients duoe to orthognathic surgery	a measurement of sound formants	6 and 30 weeks postoperatively

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Anatomical changes in vocal tract due to orthognathic surgery	changes in vocal track dimensions	6 and 30 weeks postoperatively

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Turku University Hospital
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Risto P Happonen, Professor, Turku University Hospital, Po. Box 52, FI-20521 Turku, Finland

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: March 1, 2012
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): December 1, 2013
• Study Completion (Anticipated): December 1, 2014

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 28, 2013
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 24, 2013
• First Posted (Estimate): June 27, 2013

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): June 27, 2013
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 24, 2013
• Last Verified: June 1, 2013

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: MRI; Orthognathic surgery; Speech production
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathological Conditions, Anatomical; Facial Asymmetry
• Other Study ID Numbers: T17/2012