Key words: Evaluation; Software Validation; Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; User-Computer Interface; Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences; Stomatognathic System

RESUMO Objetivo Adaptar e validar conteúdo e aparência do Protocolo de Avaliação Miofuncional Orofacial com Escores Expandido (AMIOFE-E) para lactentes de 6 a 24 meses de idade. Método Estudo de validação. Os parâmetros foram baseados em literatura sobre desenvolvimento motor orofacial, experiência dos autores e painel de 10 especialistas. Os dados foram analisados por estatística descritiva, Índice de Validade de Conteúdo e concordância entre especialistas. Resultados O protocolo foi organizado em blocos funcionais após manutenção, exclusão, modificação e acréscimo de itens, adaptando-se à faixa etária. Obteve-se alto nível de concordância em 90% dos itens. Na versão final foram acrescidos: histórico de alimentação e hábitos parafuncionais orofaciais, mobilidade facial, dentição, modo oral de respiração, deglutição de pastoso e detalhamentos específicos para a faixa etária. Acrescentou-se um manual operacional e uma tabela para registro de escores. Conclusão O Protocolo AMIOFE-E Lactentes e respectivo manual operacional foram validados quanto ao conteúdo e aparência, e poderá contribuir no diagnóstico miofuncional orofacial na faixa etária de 6 a 24 meses de idade.

Background: Patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) are known to have orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMD) compared to healthy individuals. Consequently, treatment with oropharyngeal exercises has shown promise in some OSA cases. However, this requires an adequate orofacial myofunctional evaluation.Aims: To develop a concise and reliable scale including the most relevant items for the orofacial myofunctional evaluation of individuals with OSA. The Expanded Orofacial Myofunctional Evaluation with Scores (OMES‐E) protocol was previously validated for this purpose. However, it has been criticised for its length, time‐consuming nature and omission of certain items.Materials & Methods: Fifty adults diagnosed with OSA by polysomnography and 23 healthy adults were included. Based on the literature, additional items were incorporated into the OMES‐E to enhance the evaluation (OMES‐E Plus), with subsequent reliability analysis. A scale with fewer items was derived from the OMES‐E Plus based on reliability and correlation analyses. Its accuracy, sensitivity and specificity were determined in a sample of 19 subjects with OSA and 19 without OSA (Control), matched for age and sex. Statistical analyses included Cronbach's alpha, item‐total correlations and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.Results: The resulting new instrument, named the Orofacial Scale for Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OFSOSA), comprises 31 items. The OFSOSA demonstrated significant discriminatory ability, with an area under the curve of 0.987, sensitivity of 95.5% and specificity of 93.7%.Conclusion: The OFSOSA, a concise instrument for myofunctional orofacial evaluation, was developed and validated, showing excellent psychometric properties for diagnosing OMDs in OSA patients.

Background: The consolidation of specialized fields in health care requires not only scientific evidence and clinical refinement, but also clearly defined scope, competencies, and language, since terminological ambiguity increases overlap and hinders communication, comparability, education, and the organization of care. In this context, Orofacial Motricity was first recognized in Brazil as a field of practice, supported by institutional milestones that have defined its scope, standardized its terminology, and updated professional competencies. Furthermore, it has been consistently adopted in Latin American and European countries (e.g., Peru, Chile, and Portugal). In English-speaking countries, professionals working with Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs) and Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) are often organized under the designation Orofacial Myology, within diverse institutional and educational frameworks. Methods: This manuscript was developed as a non-institutional position paper based on structured reports from international collaborators, a documentary review of institutional and regulatory sources, and an exploratory terminological survey of databases. Results: Heterogeneity was observed in the use and conceptual level of these designations across countries and institutions, with more frequent convergence at the level of clinical condition and intervention (OMDs/OMT) than at the level of field or area. Conclusion: Clarifying the distinction among field/area, clinical condition, and therapeutic intervention may reduce ambiguities and foster scientific and educational comparability in the international context.

Purpose: to evaluate the self-perception of vocal signs and symptoms in people who report snoring, analyzing how the intensity and frequency of snoring can impact voice-related quality of life.