As practitioners in the field of speech-language pathology, staying updated with the latest research can significantly enhance our practice. The study titled Speech Outcomes for Partial Glossectomy Surgery: Measures of speech articulation and listener perception by Bressmann et al. (2009) provides valuable insights into the speech outcomes of patients undergoing partial glossectomy surgery. This blog post aims to distill key findings from the study and offer practical advice for improving speech therapy outcomes for these patients.
Key Findings
- Speech Acceptability: The study found that speech acceptability, rather than the number of consonant distortions, is a more sensitive measure of the altered nature of a patient's speech post-surgery.
- Predictive Measures: Pre-surgical speech acceptability accounted for 63.3% of the variance in post-surgical speech acceptability, while the amount of tissue resected predicted 41% of the variance. When combined, these measures increased the cumulative predictive value to 74.2%.
- Critical Defect Size: A defect size of more than 20.4% tongue tissue was identified as the critical cut-off for poorer speech acceptability.
- Social Perception: While listeners rated the patients' speech as less acceptable after surgery, their rated social perceptions of the speakers did not change.
Practical Implications for Practitioners
Understanding these findings can significantly impact how we approach therapy for patients who have undergone partial glossectomy. Here are some practical steps:
- Focus on Speech Acceptability: Given that speech acceptability is a more sensitive measure, therapy should prioritize improving overall speech acceptability rather than merely focusing on reducing consonant distortions.
- Pre-Surgical Assessments: Conduct thorough pre-surgical speech acceptability assessments. These can serve as valuable benchmarks and predictive tools for post-surgical outcomes.
- Address Critical Defect Sizes: Be aware that a defect size exceeding 20.4% is likely to result in poorer speech acceptability. Tailor your therapy plans accordingly to address these larger defects more aggressively.
- Holistic Approach: Consider the psychological and social aspects of speech therapy. While the physical aspects of speech may change, social perceptions may remain stable, which can be reassuring for patients.
Encouraging Further Research
While the findings of this study are illuminating, they also open the door for further research. For instance, exploring how different reconstruction techniques impact speech outcomes or investigating the long-term social perceptions of patients can provide deeper insights.
As practitioners, we should not only implement these findings but also stay curious and engaged with ongoing research. By doing so, we can continually improve our practice and offer the best possible care to our patients.
To read the original research paper, please follow this link: Speech Outcomes for Partial Glossectomy Surgery: Measures of speech articulation and listener perception.
