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Tremblay P, Sato M. Movement-related cortical potential and speech-induced suppression during speech production in younger and older adults. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2024; 253:105415. [PMID: 38692095 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2024.105415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
With age, the speech system undergoes important changes that render speech production more laborious, slower and often less intelligible. And yet, the neural mechanisms that underlie these age-related changes remain unclear. In this EEG study, we examined two important mechanisms in speech motor control: pre-speech movement-related cortical potential (MRCP), which reflects speech motor planning, and speaking-induced suppression (SIS), which indexes auditory predictions of speech motor commands, in 20 healthy young and 20 healthy older adults. Participants undertook a vowel production task which was followed by passive listening of their own recorded vowels. Our results revealed extensive differences in MRCP in older compared to younger adults. Further, while longer latencies were observed in older adults on N1 and P2, in contrast, the SIS was preserved. The observed reduced MRCP appears as a potential explanatory mechanism for the known age-related slowing of speech production, while preserved SIS suggests intact motor-to-auditory integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascale Tremblay
- Université Laval, Faculté de Médecine, Département de Réadaptation, Quebec City G1V 0A6, Canada; CERVO Brain Research Center, Quebec City G1J 2G3, Canada.
| | - Marc Sato
- Laboratoire Parole et Langage, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille Université, Aix-en-Provence, France
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Wang EW, Grigos MI. Effects of Speaking Rate Changes on Speech Motor Variability in Adults. LANGUAGE AND SPEECH 2024:238309241252983. [PMID: 38783611 DOI: 10.1177/00238309241252983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
The relationship between speaking rate and speech motor variability was examined in three groups of neurotypical adults, n = 40; 15 young adults (18-30 years), 13 adults (31-40 years), and 12 middle-aged adults (41-50 years). Participants completed a connected speech task at three speaking rates (habitual, fast, and slow) where kinematic (lower lip movement) and acoustic data were obtained. Duration and variability were measured at each speaking rate. Findings revealed a complex relationship between speaking rate and variability. Adults from the middle age range (31-40 years) demonstrated shorter acoustic and kinematic durations compared with the oldest age group (41-50 years) during the habitual speaking rate condition. All adults demonstrated the greatest variability in the slow speaking rate condition, with no significant differences in variability between habitual and fast speaking rates. Interestingly, lip aperture variability was significantly lower in the youngest age group (18-30 years) compared with the two older groups during the fast speaking rate condition. Differences in measures of acoustic variability were not observed across the age levels. Strong negative correlations between kinematic/acoustic duration and lip aperture/acoustic variability in the youngest age group were revealed. Therefore, while a slow speaking rate does result in greater variability compared with habitual and fast speaking rates, longer durations of productions by the different age groups were not linked to higher spatiotemporal index (STI) values, suggesting that timing influences speech motor variability, but is not the sole contributor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily W Wang
- Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, New York University, USA
| | - Maria I Grigos
- Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, New York University, USA
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Tremblay P, Gagnon L, Roy JP, Arseneault A. Speech Production in Healthy Older Adults With or Without Amateur Singing Experience. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2023; 66:4332-4352. [PMID: 37870784 DOI: 10.1044/2023_jslhr-23-00126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Amateur singing is a universal, accessible, and enjoyable musical activity that may have positive impacts on human communication. However, evidence of an impact of singing on speech articulation is still scarce, yet understanding the effects of vocal training on speech production could provide a model for treating people with speech deficits. The aim of this study was to examine speech production in younger and older adults with or without amateur singing experience. METHOD Thirty-eight amateur singers (aged 20-87 years, 23 women and 15 men) and 40 nonmusician active controls (aged 23-88 years, 19 women and 21 men) were recruited. A set of tasks were used to evaluate the oral motor sphere: two voice production tasks, a passage reading task, and a modified diadochokinetic (DDK) rates task performed at a natural rhythm and as quickly as possible. RESULTS Our results show that older age was associated with lower reading rate, lower articulation rate, and articulation rate variability in the DDK task, as well as reduced accuracy for the phonologically complex stimuli. Most importantly, our results show an advantage for singers over cognitively active nonsingers in terms of articulatory accuracy in the most challenging situations. CONCLUSION This result suggests extended maximal performance capacities in amateur singers perhaps resulting from the articulatory efforts required during singing. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.24274813.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascale Tremblay
- Département de réadaptation, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Lydia Gagnon
- Département de réadaptation, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Johanna-Pascale Roy
- Département de langues, linguistique et traduction, Faculté des lettres et des sciences humaines, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
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Bae M, Seo MG, Ko H, Ham H, Kim KY, Lee JY. The efficacy of memory load on speech-based detection of Alzheimer's disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1186786. [PMID: 37333455 PMCID: PMC10272350 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1186786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The study aims to test whether an increase in memory load could improve the efficacy in detection of Alzheimer's disease and prediction of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score. Methods Speech from 45 mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease patients and 44 healthy older adults were collected using three speech tasks with varying memory loads. We investigated and compared speech characteristics of Alzheimer's disease across speech tasks to examine the effect of memory load on speech characteristics. Finally, we built Alzheimer's disease classification models and MMSE prediction models to assess the diagnostic value of speech tasks. Results The speech characteristics of Alzheimer's disease in pitch, loudness, and speech rate were observed and the high-memory-load task intensified such characteristics. The high-memory-load task outperformed in AD classification with an accuracy of 81.4% and MMSE prediction with a mean absolute error of 4.62. Discussion The high-memory-load recall task is an effective method for speech-based Alzheimer's disease detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minju Bae
- Interdisciplinary Program in Cognitive Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Psychiatry, SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Myo-Gyeong Seo
- Department of Psychiatry, SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunwoong Ko
- Interdisciplinary Program in Cognitive Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Samsung Medical Center, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunsun Ham
- Interdisciplinary Program in Cognitive Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Keun You Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun-Young Lee
- Interdisciplinary Program in Cognitive Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Psychiatry, SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Kim Y, Sidtis D, Sidtis JJ. Singing and Speaking Ability in Parkinson's Disease and Spinocerebellar Ataxia. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2023; 66:126-153. [PMID: 36608288 PMCID: PMC10023174 DOI: 10.1044/2022_jslhr-22-00274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study examined spontaneous, spoken-to-a-model, and two sung modes in speakers with Parkinson's disease (PD), speakers with cerebellar disease (CD), and healthy controls. Vocal performance was measured by intelligibility scores and listeners' perceptual ratings. METHOD Participants included speakers with hypokinetic dysarthria secondary to PD, those with ataxic dysarthria secondary to CD, and healthy speakers. Participants produced utterances in four vocal modes: spontaneous speech, spoken-to-a-model, sung-to-a-model, and spontaneous singing. For spoken-to-a-model and sung-to-a-model modes, written material was provided the model. For spontaneous singing, participants sang songs that they endorsed as familiar. DEPENDENT VARIABLES In Experiment I, listeners orthographically transcribed the audio samples of the first three vocal modes. In Experiment IIa, raters evaluated the accuracy of the pitch and rhythm of the spontaneous singing of familiar songs. Finally, familiar songs and sung-to-a-model utterances were rated on a competency scale by a second group of raters (Experiment IIb). RESULTS Results showed increases in intelligibility during the spoken-to-a-model mode compared with the spontaneous mode in both PD and CD groups. Singing enhanced the vocal output of speakers with PD more than in speakers with CD, as measured by percent intelligibility. PD participants' pitch and rhythm accuracy and competency in singing familiar songs was rated more favorably than those produced by CD participants. CONCLUSIONS The findings reveal a vocal task effect for spoken utterances in both groups. Sung exemplars, more impaired in CD, suggest a significant involvement of the cerebellum in singing. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.21809544.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoonji Kim
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Science, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
- Geriatrics Division, The Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research at Rockland Psychiatric Center, Orangeburg, NY
| | - Diana Sidtis
- Geriatrics Division, The Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research at Rockland Psychiatric Center, Orangeburg, NY
- Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, New York University, NY
| | - John J. Sidtis
- Geriatrics Division, The Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research at Rockland Psychiatric Center, Orangeburg, NY
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone School of Medicine, NY
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Hu H, Li J, He S, Zhao Y, Liu P, Liu H. Aging-related decline in the neuromotor control of speech production: current and future. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1172277. [PMID: 37151845 PMCID: PMC10156980 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1172277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Huijing Hu
- Institute of Medical Research, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jingting Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Sixuan He
- Institute of Medical Research, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yan Zhao
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Peng Liu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hanjun Liu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Hanjun Liu
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Feedback Schedule Effects on Speech Motor Learning in Older Adults. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND HEALTH 2022. [DOI: 10.5334/paah.205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
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Yang FPG, Liu TY, Liu CH, Murakami S, Nakai T. Verbal Training Induces Enhanced Functional Connectivity in Japanese Healthy Elderly Population. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:786853. [PMID: 35308607 PMCID: PMC8930077 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.786853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This study employs fMRI to examine the neural substrates of response to cognitive training in healthy old adults. Twenty Japanese healthy elders participated in a 4-week program and practiced a verbal articulation task on a daily basis. Functional connectivity analysis revealed that in comparison to age- and education-matched controls, elders who received the cognitive training demonstrated increased connectivity in the frontotemporal regions related with language and memory functions and showed significant correlations between the behavioral change in a linguistic task and connectivity in regions for goal-oriented persistence and lexical processing. The increased hippocampal connectivity was consistent with previous research showing efficacious memory improvement and change in hippocampal functioning. Moreover, the increased intra-network connectivity following cognitive training suggested an improved neural differentiation, in contrast to the inter-network activation pattern typical in the aging brain. This research not only validates the relationship of functional change in the frontal and temporal lobes to age-associated cognitive decline but also shows promise in turning neural change toward the right direction by cognitive training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan-Pei Gloria Yang
- Department of Foreign Languages and Literature, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Center for Cognition and Mind Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- *Correspondence: Fan-Pei Gloria Yang,
| | - Tzu-Yu Liu
- Department of Foreign Languages and Literature, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Center for Cognition and Mind Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Hsuan Liu
- Department of Foreign Languages and Literature, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Center for Cognition and Mind Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Shumei Murakami
- Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Toshiharu Nakai
- Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- Institute of NeuroImaging and Informatics, Obu, Japan
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Stipancic KL, Kuo YL, Miller A, Ventresca HM, Sternad D, Kimberley TJ, Green JR. The effects of continuous oromotor activity on speech motor learning: speech biomechanics and neurophysiologic correlates. Exp Brain Res 2021; 239:3487-3505. [PMID: 34524491 PMCID: PMC8599312 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-021-06206-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Sustained limb motor activity has been used as a therapeutic tool for improving rehabilitation outcomes and is thought to be mediated by neuroplastic changes associated with activity-induced cortical excitability. Although prior research has reported enhancing effects of continuous chewing and swallowing activity on learning, the potential beneficial effects of sustained oromotor activity on speech improvements is not well-documented. This exploratory study was designed to examine the effects of continuous oromotor activity on subsequent speech learning. Twenty neurologically healthy young adults engaged in periods of continuous chewing and speech after which they completed a novel speech motor learning task. The motor learning task was designed to elicit improvements in accuracy and efficiency of speech performance across repetitions of eight-syllable nonwords. In addition, transcranial magnetic stimulation was used to measure the cortical silent period (cSP) of the lip motor cortex before and after the periods of continuous oromotor behaviors. All repetitions of the nonword task were recorded acoustically and kinematically using a three-dimensional motion capture system. Productions were analyzed for accuracy and duration, as well as lip movement distance and speed. A control condition estimated baseline improvement rates in speech performance. Results revealed improved speech performance following 10 min of chewing. In contrast, speech performance following 10 min of continuous speech was degraded. There was no change in the cSP as a result of either oromotor activity. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed in the context of speech rehabilitation and neuromodulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaila L Stipancic
- Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Yi-Ling Kuo
- Department of Physical Therapy, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Amanda Miller
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hayden M Ventresca
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Building 79/96, 2nd Floor 13th Street, Boston, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Dagmar Sternad
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Teresa J Kimberley
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Building 79/96, 2nd Floor 13th Street, Boston, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Jordan R Green
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Building 79/96, 2nd Floor 13th Street, Boston, MA, 02129, USA.
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Abstract
We present a multidimensional acoustic report describing variation in speech productions on data collected from 500 francophone adult speakers (20 to 93 y.o.a.) as a function of age. In this cross-sectional study, chronological age is considered as a continuous variable while oral productions, in reading and speech-like tasks, are characterized via 22 descriptors related to voice quality, pitch, vowel articulation and vocalic system organization, time-related measures and temporal organization, as well as maximal performances in speech-like tasks. In a first analysis, we detail how each descriptor varies according to the age of the speaker, for male and female speakers separately. In a second analysis, we explore how chronological age is, in turn, predicted by the combination of all descriptors. Overall, results confirm that with increasing age, speakers show more voice instability, sex-dependent pitch changes, slower speech and articulation rates, slower repetition rates and less complexity effects in maximal performance tasks. A notable finding of this study is that some of these changes are continuous throughout adulthood while other appear either at old age or in early adulthood. Chronological age appears only moderately indexed in speech, mainly through speech rate parameters. We discuss these results in relation with the notion of attrition and with other possible factors at play, in an attempt to better capture the multidimensional nature of the notion of “age”.
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Whitfield JA, Holdosh SR. Practice Mediates Bidirectional Dual-Task Interference When Performing a Novel Sequential Nonword Repetition Task. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2021; 64:1904-1917. [PMID: 34019771 DOI: 10.1044/2021_jslhr-20-00605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Introduction The current study examined the extent to which practice amount mediates dual-task interference patterns associated with concurrent performance of a novel speech task and attention-demanding visuomotor task. Method A Sequential Nonword Repetition Task was used to examine the effect of practice on interference associated with concurrent performance of a Visuomotor Pursuit Task. Twenty-five young adult participants were assigned to either an Extended Practice Group or a Limited Practice Group and performed a novel Sequential Nonword Repetition Task in isolation and while performing a concurrent visuomotor pursuit rotor task. Results Participants in the Limited Practice Group who were afforded a limited amount of practice exhibited dual-task interference (i.e., dual-task performance reductions) for both the speech and visuomotor tasks (i.e., bidirectional dual-task interference). Conversely, participants in the Extended Practice Group who were afforded extended practice exhibited little-to-no observable dual-task interference on the nonword repetition task. Conclusion Data from the current investigation suggest that the amount of initial practice mediates the degree of dual-task interference observed when a novel speech production task is performed with an attention-demanding Visuomotor Pursuit Task. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.14608071.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason A Whitfield
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Bowling Green State University, OH
| | - Serena R Holdosh
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Bowling Green State University, OH
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12
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Shen C, Janse E. Maximum Speech Performance and Executive Control in Young Adult Speakers. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2020; 63:3611-3627. [PMID: 33079614 DOI: 10.1044/2020_jslhr-19-00257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Purpose This study investigated whether maximum speech performance, more specifically, the ability to rapidly alternate between similar syllables during speech production, is associated with executive control abilities in a nonclinical young adult population. Method Seventy-eight young adult participants completed two speech tasks, both operationalized as maximum performance tasks, to index their articulatory control: a diadochokinetic (DDK) task with nonword and real-word syllable sequences and a tongue-twister task. Additionally, participants completed three cognitive tasks, each covering one element of executive control (a Flanker interference task to index inhibitory control, a letter-number switching task to index cognitive switching, and an operation span task to index updating of working memory). Linear mixed-effects models were fitted to investigate how well maximum speech performance measures can be predicted by elements of executive control. Results Participants' cognitive switching ability was associated with their accuracy in both the DDK and tongue-twister speech tasks. Additionally, nonword DDK accuracy was more strongly associated with executive control than real-word DDK accuracy (which has to be interpreted with caution). None of the executive control abilities related to the maximum rates at which participants performed the two speech tasks. Conclusion These results underscore the association between maximum speech performance and executive control (cognitive switching in particular).
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Shen
- Centre for Language Studies, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Esther Janse
- Centre for Language Studies, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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Gertel VH, Karimi H, Dennis NA, Neely KA, Diaz MT. Lexical frequency affects functional activation and accuracy in picture naming among older and younger adults. Psychol Aging 2020; 35:536-552. [PMID: 32191059 DOI: 10.1037/pag0000454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
As individuals age, they experience increased difficulties producing speech, especially with infrequent words. Older adults report that word retrieval difficulties frequently occur and are highly frustrating. However, little is known about how age affects the neural basis of language production. Moreover, age-related increases in brain activation are often observed, yet there is disagreement about whether such increases represent a form of neural compensation or dedifferentiation. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to determine if there are age-related differences in functional activation during picture naming and whether such differences are consistent with a compensatory, dedifferentiation, or hybrid account that factors in difficulty. Healthy younger and older adults performed a picture-naming task with stimuli that varied in lexical frequency-our proxy for difficulty. Both younger and older adults were sensitive to lexical frequency behaviorally and neurally. However, younger adults performed more accurately overall and engaged both language (bilateral insula and temporal pole) and cognitive control (bilateral superior frontal gyri and left cingulate) regions to a greater extent than older adults when processing lower frequency items. In both groups, poorer performance was associated with increases in functional activation consistent with dedifferentiation. Moreover, there were age-related differences in the strength of these correlations, with better performing younger adults modulating the bilateral insula and temporal pole and better performing older adults modulating bilateral frontal pole and precuneus. Overall, these findings highlight the influence of task difficulty on fMRI activation in older adults and suggest that as task difficulty increases, older and younger adults rely on different neural resources. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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14
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Age-related deficits in speech production: From phonological planning to motor implementation. Exp Gerontol 2019; 126:110695. [DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2019.110695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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15
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MacPherson MK. Cognitive Load Affects Speech Motor Performance Differently in Older and Younger Adults. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2019; 62:1258-1277. [PMID: 31051090 DOI: 10.1044/2018_jslhr-s-17-0222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Purpose The aim of this study was to determine the impact of cognitive load imposed by a speech production task on the speech motor performance of healthy older and younger adults. Response inhibition, selective attention, and working memory were the primary cognitive processes of interest. Method Twelve healthy older and 12 healthy younger adults produced multiple repetitions of 4 sentences containing an embedded Stroop task in 2 cognitive load conditions: congruent and incongruent. The incongruent condition, which required participants to suppress orthographic information to say the font colors in which color words were written, represented an increase in cognitive load relative to the congruent condition in which word text and font color matched. Kinematic measures of articulatory coordination variability and movement duration as well as a behavioral measure of sentence production accuracy were compared between groups and conditions and across 3 sentence segments (pre-, during-, and post-Stroop). Results Increased cognitive load in the incongruent condition was associated with increased articulatory coordination variability and movement duration, compared to the congruent Stroop condition, for both age groups. Overall, the effect of increased cognitive load was greater for older adults than younger adults and was greatest in the portion of the sentence in which cognitive load was manipulated (during-Stroop), followed by the pre-Stroop segment. Sentence production accuracy was reduced for older adults in the incongruent condition. Conclusions Increased cognitive load involving response inhibition, selective attention, and working memory processes within a speech production task disrupted both the stability and timing with which speech was produced by both age groups. Older adults' speech motor performance may have been more affected due to age-related changes in cognitive and motoric functions that result in altered motor cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan K MacPherson
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant
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Knuijt S, Kalf J, Van Engelen B, Geurts A, de Swart B. Reference values of maximum performance tests of speech production. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2019; 21:56-64. [PMID: 28949263 DOI: 10.1080/17549507.2017.1380227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Revised: 06/16/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Maximum performance tests examine upper limits of speech motor performance, as used by speech-language pathologists in dysarthria assessment protocols. The Radboud Dysarthria Assessment includes maximum repetition rate, maximum phonation time, fundamental frequency range and maximum phonation volume to assist in detecting pathological performance. This study aims to obtain reference values for each of these tests. METHOD A group of 224 healthy Dutch adults aged 18-80 years performed the maximum performance tests. Age, sex, body height, smoking habit, and profession were registered. Using multivariable linear regression, a wide range of models was tested to examine the relationship between these person characteristics and speech performance. The likelihood ratio was used to test the goodness of fit to the data. RESULT Above 60 years of age, maximum repetition rate, fundamental frequency range and maximum phonation volume were all negatively affected by age. Below 60 years, only women showed effects of age on fundamental frequency range (increase) and maximum phonation volume (decrease). Maximum phonation time was primarily related to body height (increase). CONCLUSION This study presents reference values of four maximum performance tests for comparing the performance of dysarthric patients with non-pathological performance. Age was identified as most important factor influencing maximum speech performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Knuijt
- a Department of Rehabilitation , Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center , Nijmegen , the Netherlands
| | - Johanna Kalf
- a Department of Rehabilitation , Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center , Nijmegen , the Netherlands
| | - Baziel Van Engelen
- b Department of Neurology , Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center , Nijmegen , the Netherlands , and
| | - Alexander Geurts
- a Department of Rehabilitation , Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center , Nijmegen , the Netherlands
| | - Bert de Swart
- a Department of Rehabilitation , Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center , Nijmegen , the Netherlands
- c HAN University of Applied Sciences, Institute of Health Studies , Nijmegen , the Netherlands
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Weir-Mayta P, Spencer KA, Bierer SM, Daliri A, Ondish P, France A, Hutchison E, Sears C. Investigation of Feedback Schedules on Speech Motor Learning in Older Adults. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AGING RESEARCH 2019; 2:33. [PMID: 34723185 PMCID: PMC8556735 DOI: 10.28933/ijoar-2019-03-2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The principles of motor learning (PML) emerged from studies of limb motor skills in healthy, young adults. The applicability of these principles to speech motor learning, and to older adults, is uncertain. AIMS The purpose of this study was to examine one PML, feedback frequency, and its effect on retention and generalization of a novel speech and comparable tracing task. METHODS Sixty older adults completed a speech motor learning task requiring the production of a novel phrase at speaking rates 2 times and 3 times slower than habitual rate. Participants also completed a limb motor learning task requiring the tracing of a sine wave 2x and 3x slower than habitual rate. Participants were randomly assigned to receive feedback every trial, every 5th trial, or every 10th trial. Mean absolute error was measured to examine immediate generalization, delayed generalization, and 2-day retention. FINDINGS Results suggested that feedback frequency did not have an effect on the retention and generalization of the speech or manual task, supporting the small but growing literature highlighting the constraints of generalizing the PML to other modalities and populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phil Weir-Mayta
- California State University Fullerton, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, 800 N. State College Blvd. Suite 420, Fullerton, CA 92831
| | - Kristie A Spencer
- University of Washington, Dept. of Speech & Hearing Sciences, 1417 NE 42nd St. Seattle, WA 98105
| | - Steven M Bierer
- University of Washington, Dept. of Otolaryngology, 1959 NE Pacific St., Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Ayoub Daliri
- Arizona State University, College of Health Solutions, 550 N. 3rd St., Phoenix, AZ 85004
| | - Peter Ondish
- University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Department of Psychology, 603 E. Daniel St., Champaign, IL 61820
| | - Ashley France
- University of Washington, Dept. of Speech & Hearing Sciences, 1417 NE 42nd St. Seattle, WA 98105
| | - Erika Hutchison
- University of Washington, Dept. of Speech & Hearing Sciences, 1417 NE 42nd St. Seattle, WA 98105
| | - Caitlin Sears
- University of Washington, Dept. of Speech & Hearing Sciences, 1417 NE 42nd St. Seattle, WA 98105
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Buchwald A, Calhoun H, Rimikis S, Lowe MS, Wellner R, Edwards DJ. Using tDCS to facilitate motor learning in speech production: The role of timing. Cortex 2018; 111:274-285. [PMID: 30551048 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2018.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
There exists debate regarding the extent to which transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can affect or enhance human behavior. Here, we examined a previously unexplored domain: speech motor learning. We investigated whether speech motor learning in unimpaired participants can be enhanced using a single-session tDCS experiment, and investigated whether the timing of tDCS relative to a behavioral task affected performance. Participants (N = 80) performed a twenty minute learning task with nonwords containing non-native consonant clusters (e.g., GDEEVOO), and were assigned to groups receiving either sham or active tDCS either immediately before or during the task. Both accuracy and properties of errors were examined throughout the course of the practice task, and then practice was compared to a retention period 30 min later (R1) and two days later (R2). For cluster and whole-(non)word accuracy measures, acquisition was observed for all groups during the practice session. Compared to the beginning of practice, the tDCS-Before group showed significantly greater improvement than both the sham group and the tDCS-During group at R1. An effect was also observed for vowel duration in errors (/gdivu/ → [gədivu]), with the tDCS-Before group showing significant shortening of vowel errors throughout practice. Overall, the findings suggest that tDCS can improve speech motor learning, and that the improvement may be greater when tDCS is applied immediately before practice, warranting further exploration of this new domain for tDCS research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Buchwald
- New York University, Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Holly Calhoun
- New York University, Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stacey Rimikis
- New York University, Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mara Steinberg Lowe
- New York University, Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rebecca Wellner
- New York University, Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dylan J Edwards
- Burke Medical Research Institute, Edith Cowan University and Weill Cornell Medicine, White Plains, NY, USA; Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Li J, Hu H, Chen N, Jones JA, Wu D, Liu P, Liu H. Aging and Sex Influence Cortical Auditory-Motor Integration for Speech Control. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:749. [PMID: 30386204 PMCID: PMC6199396 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well known that acoustic change in speech production is subject to age-related declines. How aging alters cortical sensorimotor integration in speech control, however, remains poorly understood. The present event-related potential study examined the behavioral and neural effects of aging and sex on the auditory-motor processing of voice pitch errors. Behaviorally, older adults produced significantly larger vocal compensations for pitch perturbations than young adults across the sexes, while the effects of sex on vocal compensation did not exist for both young and older adults. At the cortical level, there was a significant interaction between aging and sex on the N1-P2 complex. Older males produced significantly smaller P2 amplitudes than young males, while young males produced significantly larger N1 and P2 amplitudes than young females. In addition, females produced faster N1 responses than males regardless of age, while young adults produced faster P2 responses than older adults across the sexes. These findings provide the first neurobehavioral evidence that demonstrates the aging influence on auditory feedback control of speech production, and highlight the importance of sex in understanding the aging of the neuromotor control of speech production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingting Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huijing Hu
- Guangdong Work Injury Rehabilitation Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Na Chen
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jeffery A Jones
- Department of Psychology and Laurier Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Dan Wu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Peng Liu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hanjun Liu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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Hazan V, Tuomainen O, Kim J, Davis C, Sheffield B, Brungart D. Clear speech adaptations in spontaneous speech produced by young and older adults. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2018; 144:1331. [PMID: 30424655 DOI: 10.1121/1.5053218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The study investigated the speech adaptations by older adults (OA) with and without age-related hearing loss made to communicate effectively in challenging communicative conditions. Acoustic analyses were carried out on spontaneous speech produced during a problem-solving task (diapix) carried out by talker pairs in different listening conditions. There were 83 talkers of Southern British English. Fifty-seven talkers were OAs aged 65-84, 30 older adults with normal hearing (OANH), and 27 older adults with hearing loss (OAHL) [mean pure tone average (PTA) 0.250-4 kHz: 27.7 dB HL]. Twenty-six talkers were younger adults (YA) aged 18-26 with normal hearing. Participants were recorded while completing the diapix task with a conversational partner (YA of the same sex) when (a) both talkers heard normally (NORM), (b) the partner had a simulated hearing loss, and (c) both talkers heard babble noise. Irrespective of hearing status, there were age-related differences in some acoustic characteristics of YA and OA speech produced in NORM, most likely linked to physiological factors. In challenging conditions, while OANH talkers typically patterned with YA talkers, OAHL talkers made adaptations more consistent with an increase in vocal effort. The study suggests that even mild presbycusis in healthy OAs can affect the speech adaptations made to maintain effective communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie Hazan
- Department of Speech Hearing and Phonetic Sciences, University College London, 2 Wakefield Street, London WC1N 1PF, United Kingdom
| | - Outi Tuomainen
- Department of Speech Hearing and Phonetic Sciences, University College London, 2 Wakefield Street, London WC1N 1PF, United Kingdom
| | - Jeesun Kim
- The MARCS Institute, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, New South Wales 2751, Australia
| | - Christopher Davis
- The MARCS Institute, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, New South Wales 2751, Australia
| | - Benjamin Sheffield
- Audiology and Speech-Pathology Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, 4494 North Palmer Road, Bethesda, Maryland 20889, USA
| | - Douglas Brungart
- Audiology and Speech-Pathology Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, 4494 North Palmer Road, Bethesda, Maryland 20889, USA
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21
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Lowe MS, Buchwald A. The Impact of Feedback Frequency on Performance in a Novel Speech Motor Learning Task. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2017; 60:1712-1725. [PMID: 28655043 PMCID: PMC5544402 DOI: 10.1044/2017_jslhr-s-16-0207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2016] [Revised: 09/27/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study investigated whether whole nonword accuracy, phoneme accuracy, and acoustic duration measures were influenced by the amount of feedback speakers without impairment received during a novel speech motor learning task. METHOD Thirty-two native English speakers completed a nonword production task across 3 time points: practice, short-term retention, and long-term retention. During practice, participants received knowledge of results feedback according to a randomly assigned schedule (100%, 50%, 20%, or 0%). Changes in nonword accuracy, phoneme accuracy, nonword duration, and initial-cluster duration were compared among feedback groups, sessions, and stimulus properties. RESULTS All participants improved phoneme and whole nonword accuracy at short-term and long-term retention time points. Participants also refined productions of nonwords, as indicated by a decrease in nonword duration across sessions. The 50% group exhibited the largest reduction in duration between practice and long-term retention for nonwords with native and nonnative clusters. CONCLUSIONS All speakers, regardless of feedback schedule, learned new speech motor behaviors quickly with a high degree of accuracy and refined their speech motor skills for perceptually accurate productions. Acoustic measurements may capture more subtle, subperceptual changes that may occur during speech motor learning. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.5116324.
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22
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Whitfield JA, Goberman AM. Speech Motor Sequence Learning: Effect of Parkinson Disease and Normal Aging on Dual-Task Performance. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2017; 60:1752-1765. [PMID: 28655039 DOI: 10.1044/2017_jslhr-s-16-0246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Accepted: 11/29/2016] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Everyday communication is carried out concurrently with other tasks. Therefore, determining how dual tasks interfere with newly learned speech motor skills can offer insight into the cognitive mechanisms underlying speech motor learning in Parkinson disease (PD). The current investigation examines a recently learned speech motor sequence under dual-task conditions. METHOD A previously learned sequence of 6 monosyllabic nonwords was examined using a dual-task paradigm. Participants repeated the sequence while concurrently performing a visuomotor task, and performance on both tasks was measured in single- and dual-task conditions. RESULTS The younger adult group exhibited little to no dual-task interference on the accuracy and duration of the sequence. The older adult group exhibited variability in dual-task costs, with the group as a whole exhibiting an intermediate, though significant, amount of dual-task interference. The PD group exhibited the largest degree of bidirectional dual-task interference among all the groups. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that PD affects the later stages of speech motor learning, as the dual-task condition interfered with production of the recently learned sequence beyond the effect of normal aging. Because the basal ganglia is critical for the later stages of motor sequence learning, the observed deficits may result from the underlying neural dysfunction associated with PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason A Whitfield
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Bowling Green State University, OH
| | - Alexander M Goberman
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Bowling Green State University, OH
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23
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Whitfield JA, Goberman AM. Speech Motor Sequence Learning: Acquisition and Retention in Parkinson Disease and Normal Aging. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2017; 60:1477-1492. [PMID: 28586815 DOI: 10.1044/2016_jslhr-s-16-0104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 11/29/2016] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of the current investigation was to examine speech motor sequence learning in neurologically healthy younger adults, neurologically healthy older adults, and individuals with Parkinson disease (PD) over a 2-day period. METHOD A sequential nonword repetition task was used to examine learning over 2 days. Participants practiced a sequence of 6 monosyllabic nonwords that was retested following nighttime sleep. The speed and accuracy of the nonword sequence were measured, and learning was inferred by examining performance within and between sessions. RESULTS Though all groups exhibited comparable improvements of the nonword sequence performance during the initial session, between-session retention of the nonword sequence differed between groups. Younger adult controls exhibited offline gains, characterized by an increase in the speed and accuracy of nonword sequence performance across sessions, whereas older adults exhibited stable between-session performance. Individuals with PD exhibited offline losses, marked by an increase in sequence duration between sessions. CONCLUSIONS The current results demonstrate that both PD and normal aging affect retention of speech motor learning. Furthermore, these data suggest that basal ganglia dysfunction associated with PD may affect the later stages of speech motor learning. Findings from the current investigation are discussed in relation to studies examining consolidation of nonspeech motor learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason A Whitfield
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Bowling Green State University, OH
| | - Alexander M Goberman
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Bowling Green State University, OH
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24
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Kuruvilla-Dugdale M, Mefferd A. Spatiotemporal movement variability in ALS: Speaking rate effects on tongue, lower lip, and jaw motor control. JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2017; 67:22-34. [PMID: 28528293 PMCID: PMC5514846 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcomdis.2017.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2016] [Revised: 04/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Although it is frequently presumed that bulbar muscle degeneration in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is associated with progressive loss of speech motor control, empirical evidence is limited. Furthermore, because speaking rate slows with disease progression and rate manipulations are used to improve intelligibility in ALS, this study sought to (i) determine between and within-group differences in articulatory motor control as a result of speaking rate changes and (ii) identify the strength of association between articulatory motor control and speech impairment severity. METHOD Ten talkers with ALS and 11 healthy controls repeated the target sentence at habitual, fast, and slow rates. The spatiotemporal variability index (STI) was calculated to determine tongue, lower lip, and jaw movement variability. RESULTS During habitual speech, talkers with mild-moderate dysarthria displayed significantly lower tongue and lip movement variability whereas those with severe dysarthria showed greater variability compared to controls. Within-group rate effects were significant only for talkers with ALS. Specifically, lip and tongue movement variability significantly increased during slow speech relative to habitual and fast speech. Finally, preliminary associations between speech impairment severity and movement variability were moderate to strong in talkers with ALS. CONCLUSION Between-group differences for habitual speech and within-group effects for slow speech replicated previous findings for lower lip and jaw movements. Preliminary findings of moderate to strong associations between speech impairment severity and STI suggest that articulatory variability may vary from pathologically low (possibly indicating articulatory compensation) to pathologically high variability (possibly indicating loss of control) with dysarthria progression in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mili Kuruvilla-Dugdale
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States.
| | - Antje Mefferd
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
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25
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Tremblay P, Sato M, Deschamps I. Age differences in the motor control of speech: An fMRI study of healthy aging. Hum Brain Mapp 2017; 38:2751-2771. [PMID: 28263012 PMCID: PMC6866863 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2016] [Revised: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Healthy aging is associated with a decline in cognitive, executive, and motor processes that are concomitant with changes in brain activation patterns, particularly at high complexity levels. While speech production relies on all these processes, and is known to decline with age, the mechanisms that underlie these changes remain poorly understood, despite the importance of communication on everyday life. In this cross-sectional group study, we investigated age differences in the neuromotor control of speech production by combining behavioral and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data. Twenty-seven healthy adults underwent fMRI while performing a speech production task consisting in the articulation of nonwords of different sequential and motor complexity. Results demonstrate strong age differences in movement time (MT), with longer and more variable MT in older adults. The fMRI results revealed extensive age differences in the relationship between BOLD signal and MT, within and outside the sensorimotor system. Moreover, age differences were also found in relation to sequential complexity within the motor and attentional systems, reflecting both compensatory and de-differentiation mechanisms. At very high complexity level (high motor complexity and high sequence complexity), age differences were found in both MT data and BOLD response, which increased in several sensorimotor and executive control areas. Together, these results suggest that aging of motor and executive control mechanisms may contribute to age differences in speech production. These findings highlight the importance of studying functionally relevant behavior such as speech to understand the mechanisms of human brain aging. Hum Brain Mapp 38:2751-2771, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascale Tremblay
- Université Laval, Departement de ReadaptationFaculté de MedecineQuebec CityQuebecCanada
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Sante Mentale de QuébecQuebec CityQuebecCanada
| | - Marc Sato
- Laboratoire Parole & LangageUniversité Aix‐Marseille, CNRSAix‐en‐ProvenceFrance
| | - Isabelle Deschamps
- Université Laval, Departement de ReadaptationFaculté de MedecineQuebec CityQuebecCanada
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Sante Mentale de QuébecQuebec CityQuebecCanada
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Mefferd AS. Associations between tongue movement pattern consistency and formant movement pattern consistency in response to speech behavioral modifications. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2016; 140:3728. [PMID: 27908069 PMCID: PMC5392073 DOI: 10.1121/1.4967446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2016] [Revised: 08/18/2016] [Accepted: 10/28/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The degree of speech movement pattern consistency can provide information about speech motor control. Although tongue motor control is particularly important because of the tongue's primary contribution to the speech acoustic signal, capturing tongue movements during speech remains difficult and costly. This study sought to determine if formant movements could be used to estimate tongue movement pattern consistency indirectly. Two age groups (seven young adults and seven older adults) and six speech conditions (typical, slow, loud, clear, fast, bite block speech) were selected to elicit an age- and task-dependent performance range in tongue movement pattern consistency. Kinematic and acoustic spatiotemporal indexes (STI) were calculated based on sentence-length tongue movement and formant movement signals, respectively. Kinematic and acoustic STI values showed strong associations across talkers and moderate to strong associations for each talker across speech tasks; although, in cases where task-related tongue motor performance changes were relatively small, the acoustic STI values were poorly associated with kinematic STI values. These findings suggest that, depending on the sensitivity needs, formant movement pattern consistency could be used in lieu of direct kinematic analysis to indirectly examine speech motor control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antje S Mefferd
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1215 21st Avenue South, 8310 Medical Center East, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-8718, USA
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27
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Bilodeau-Mercure M, Tremblay P. Age Differences in Sequential Speech Production: Articulatory and Physiological Factors. J Am Geriatr Soc 2016; 64:e177-e182. [DOI: 10.1111/jgs.14491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mylène Bilodeau-Mercure
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Québec (IUSMQ); Québec City Québec Canada
| | - Pascale Tremblay
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Québec (IUSMQ); Québec City Québec Canada
- Department of Rehabilitation; School of Medecine; Université Laval; Québec City Québec Canada
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28
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Dromey C, Scott S. The effects of noise on speech movements in young, middle-aged, and older adults. SPEECH, LANGUAGE AND HEARING 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/2050571x.2015.1133757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Bailey DJ, Dromey C. Bidirectional Interference Between Speech and Nonspeech Tasks in Younger, Middle-Aged, and Older Adults. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2015; 58:1637-1653. [PMID: 26172525 DOI: 10.1044/2015_jslhr-s-14-0083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2014] [Accepted: 07/06/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine divided attention over a large age range by looking at the effects of 3 nonspeech tasks on concurrent speech motor performance. The nonspeech tasks were designed to facilitate measurement of bidirectional interference, allowing examination of their sensitivity to speech activity. A cross-sectional design was selected to explore possible changes in divided-attention effects associated with age. METHOD Sixty healthy participants were separated into 3 groups of 20: younger (20s), middle-aged (40s), and older (60s) adults. Each participant completed a speech task (sentence repetitions) once in isolation and once concurrently with each of 3 nonspeech tasks: a semantic-decision linguistic task, a quantitative-comparison cognitive task, and a manual motor task. The nonspeech tasks were also performed in isolation. RESULTS Data from speech kinematics and nonspeech task performance indicated significant task-specific divided attention interference, with divided attention affecting speech and nonspeech measures in the linguistic and cognitive conditions and affecting speech measures in the manual motor condition. There was also a significant age effect for utterance duration. CONCLUSIONS The results increase what is known about bidirectional interference between speech and other concurrent tasks as well as age effects on speech motor control.
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Tremblay P, Deschamps I. Structural brain aging and speech production: a surface-based brain morphometry study. Brain Struct Funct 2015; 221:3275-99. [PMID: 26336952 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-015-1100-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2014] [Accepted: 08/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
While there has been a growing number of studies examining the neurofunctional correlates of speech production over the past decade, the neurostructural correlates of this immensely important human behaviour remain less well understood, despite the fact that previous studies have established links between brain structure and behaviour, including speech and language. In the present study, we thus examined, for the first time, the relationship between surface-based cortical thickness (CT) and three different behavioural indexes of sublexical speech production: response duration, reaction times and articulatory accuracy, in healthy young and older adults during the production of simple and complex meaningless sequences of syllables (e.g., /pa-pa-pa/ vs. /pa-ta-ka/). The results show that each behavioural speech measure was sensitive to the complexity of the sequences, as indicated by slower reaction times, longer response durations and decreased articulatory accuracy in both groups for the complex sequences. Older adults produced longer speech responses, particularly during the production of complex sequence. Unique age-independent and age-dependent relationships between brain structure and each of these behavioural measures were found in several cortical and subcortical regions known for their involvement in speech production, including the bilateral anterior insula, the left primary motor area, the rostral supramarginal gyrus, the right inferior frontal sulcus, the bilateral putamen and caudate, and in some region less typically associated with speech production, such as the posterior cingulate cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascale Tremblay
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Québec, Quebec, QC, Canada. .,Département de Réadaptation, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada. .,Département de Rehabilitation, Université Laval, Office 4462, 1050 avenue de la Médecine, Quebec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.
| | - Isabelle Deschamps
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Québec, Quebec, QC, Canada.,Département de Réadaptation, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada
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Dromey C, Boyce K, Channell R. Effects of age and syntactic complexity on speech motor performance. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2014; 57:2142-2151. [PMID: 25215529 DOI: 10.1044/2014_jslhr-s-13-0327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2013] [Accepted: 09/06/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study investigated the effect of age on articulatory movement and stability in young, middle-age, and older adults. It also examined the potential influence of linguistic complexity on speech motor control across utterances that differed in their length and grammatical complexity. METHOD There were 60 participants in 3 age groups: 20-30 years, 40-50 years, and 60-70 years, with equal numbers of men and women in each group. The speakers produced 10 repetitions of 5 different stimuli-each of which included the same bilabial-loaded phrase in different grammatical contexts-while their lip movements were recorded. RESULTS Participants from the 60-year-old group had significantly longer utterance durations, whereas those from the 20-year-old group had the highest jaw spatiotemporal index (STI) values. There were significant differences in the upper lip STI, displacement, and velocity as well as in vocal intensity for the longer, complex conditions compared with the shorter, phrase-only task. Overall, the differences in performance were minimal across grammatical complexity levels that were equal in length. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that speech motor control matures beyond young adulthood and that linguistic complexity in a repetitive task does not appear to have a consistent effect on measures of speech movement.
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Sasisekaran J, Weisberg S. Practice and retention of nonwords in adults who stutter. JOURNAL OF FLUENCY DISORDERS 2014; 41:55-71. [PMID: 25173457 PMCID: PMC4156135 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfludis.2014.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2013] [Revised: 02/15/2014] [Accepted: 02/20/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE We investigated short-term practice and retention of nonwords in 10 adults who stutter (Mean age=30.7 years, SD=15.1) and age and sex-matched 10 control participants (Mean age=30.8 years, SD=14.9). METHODS Participants were required to repeat nonwords varying in length (3, 4, and 6 syllables), phonotactic constraint (PC vs. NPC, on 3-syllable nonwords only), and complexity (simple, complex). They were tested twice with 1h gap between sessions. RESULTS Logistic mixed model of speech accuracy revealed that the AWS showed a significantly lower probability of correct responses with increasing length and complexity. Analysis of speech kinematics revealed practice effects within Session 1 in AWS seen as a reduction in movement variability for the 3-syllable nonwords; the control group was performing at ceiling at this length. For the 4-syllable nonwords, the control group showed a significant reduction in movement variability with practice, and retained this reduction in Session 2, while the AWS group did not show practice or retention. Group differences were not evident at the 6-syllable level. CONCLUSIONS Group differences in speech accuracy suggest differences in phonemic encoding and/or speech motor processes. Group differences in changes in movement variability within and between sessions suggest reduced practice and retention in AWS. Relevance of the combined use of both behavioral and kinematic measures to interpret the nature of the skill acquisition deficit in persons who stutter is discussed. EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES At the end of this activity the reader will be able to: (a) summarize the process of skill acquisition; (b) discuss the literature on skill acquisition deficits in adults who stutter, (c) summarize the differences between AWS and control participants in speech accuracy and speech kinematics with short-term practice and retention of nonwords, (d) discuss potential research directions in the area of skill acquisition in AWS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayanthi Sasisekaran
- Department of Speech, Language, Hearing Sciences, University of Minnesota, United States.
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Kan PF, Sadagopan N, Janich L, Andrade M. Effects of speech practice on fast mapping in monolingual and bilingual speakers. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2014; 57:929-941. [PMID: 24167242 DOI: 10.1044/2013_jslhr-l-13-0045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study examines the effects of the levels of speech practice on fast mapping in monolingual and bilingual speakers. METHOD Participants were 30 English-speaking monolingual and 30 Spanish-English bilingual young adults. Each participant was randomly assigned to 1 of 3 practice conditions prior to the fast-mapping task: (a) intensive speech practice, (b) moderate speech practice, or (c) no practice. In a fast-mapping experiment, each participant was briefly exposed to novel objects and their corresponding novel words. Participants' knowledge of the target novel words was assessed immediately after the exposures. RESULTS There were significant effects of speech practice on fast mapping for both monolingual and bilingual adults. It is important to note that participants' language experience also played a role in their fast-mapping performance. CONCLUSION The findings suggest that speech practice, interacting with language experience, facilitates the processes for fast mapping.
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