As the result of a stroke 5 years ago my wife is unable to speak (she also has a tracheostomy) or move her limbs. However, she is appears to be aware of what is happening around her. She watches tv, responds to sounds, and moves her eyes from speaker to speaker when they are speaking within visual range. How can the functioning of her vocal cords be conducted when she has a trach tube? Is there a danger of atrophy of these since they have not been used for five years. In short, how can we check to see if she can talk and help her to?