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Moya-Galé G, Pagano G, Walsh SJ. Perceptual consequences of online group speech treatment for individuals with Parkinson's disease: A pilot study case series. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2024:1-16. [PMID: 38692287 DOI: 10.1080/17549507.2024.2330538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE We examined perceptual changes in the domains of ease of understanding, naturalness, and speech severity, as well as changes in self-perceptions of voice disability, following an online group speech treatment program for people with Parkinson's disease (PD) conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD Seven speakers with hypokinetic dysarthria associated with PD participated in a university and community-based online group speech program for 10 weeks. Speech recordings occurred remotely 1 week before and 1 week after the online program. Thirty naïve listeners rated ease of understanding, naturalness, and speech severity based on the speech recordings. Speakers' self-perceptions of voice disability were also obtained at both time points. RESULT Individual analysis of the speech data showed that for most speakers with dysarthria, ease of understanding and perceptions of severity were rated the same or better pre- to post-treatment. Naturalness, however, was only perceived to be the same or better post-treatment in three out of seven speakers. Over half of the speakers reported improvements in their self-perception of voice disability. CONCLUSION This pilot study highlighted the individual variability among speakers with dysarthria and the potential of online group speech treatment to maintain and/or improve speech function in this population.
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Shellikeri S, Cho S, Ash S, Gonzalez-Recober C, McMillan CT, Elman L, Quinn C, Amado DA, Baer M, Irwin DJ, Massimo L, Olm C, Liberman M, Grossman M, Nevler N. Digital markers of motor speech impairments in spontaneous speech of patients with ALS-FTD spectrum disorders. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2024; 25:317-325. [PMID: 38050971 PMCID: PMC11023759 DOI: 10.1080/21678421.2023.2288106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate automated digital speech measures, derived from spontaneous speech (picture descriptions), in assessing bulbar motor impairments in patients with ALS-FTD spectrum disorders (ALS-FTSD). METHODS Automated vowel algorithms were employed to extract two vowel acoustic measures: vowel space area (VSA), and mean second formant slope (F2 slope). Vowel measures were compared between ALS with and without clinical bulbar symptoms (ALS + bulbar (n = 49, ALSFRS-r bulbar subscore: x¯ = 9.8 (SD = 1.7)) vs. ALS-nonbulbar (n = 23), behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD, n = 25) without a motor syndrome, and healthy controls (HC, n = 32). Correlations with bulbar motor clinical scales, perceived listener effort, and MRI cortical thickness of the orobuccal primary motor cortex (oral PMC) were examined. We compared vowel measures to speaking rate, a conventional metric for assessing bulbar dysfunction. RESULTS ALS + bulbar had significantly reduced VSA and F2 slope than ALS-nonbulbar (|d|=0.94 and |d|=1.04, respectively), bvFTD (|d|=0.89 and |d|=1.47), and HC (|d|=0.73 and |d|=0.99). These reductions correlated with worse bulbar clinical scores (VSA: R = 0.33, p = 0.043; F2 slope: R = 0.38, p = 0.011), greater listener effort (VSA: R=-0.43, p = 0.041; F2 slope: p > 0.05), and cortical thinning in oral PMC (F2 slope: β = 0.0026, p = 0.017). Vowel measures demonstrated greater sensitivity and specificity for bulbar impairment than speaking rate, while showing independence from cognitive and respiratory impairments. CONCLUSION Automatic vowel measures are easily derived from a brief spontaneous speech sample, are sensitive to mild-moderate stage of bulbar disease in ALS-FTSD, and may present better sensitivity to bulbar impairment compared to traditional assessments such as speaking rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjana Shellikeri
- Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center and Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Sunghye Cho
- Linguistic Data Consortium, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Sharon Ash
- Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center and Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Carmen Gonzalez-Recober
- Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center and Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Corey T. McMillan
- Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center and Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | | | - Colin Quinn
- Penn ALS Clinic, University of Pennsylvania, PA
| | | | | | - David J Irwin
- Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center and Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Lauren Massimo
- Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center and Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Chris Olm
- Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center and Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Mark Liberman
- Linguistic Data Consortium, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Department of Linguistics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Murray Grossman
- Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center and Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Naomi Nevler
- Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center and Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
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Kim Y, Thompson A, Nip ISB. Effects of Deep-Brain Stimulation on Speech: Perceptual and Acoustic Data. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2024; 67:1090-1106. [PMID: 38498664 PMCID: PMC11005955 DOI: 10.1044/2024_jslhr-23-00511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study examined speech changes induced by deep-brain stimulation (DBS) in speakers with Parkinson's disease (PD) using a set of auditory-perceptual and acoustic measures. METHOD Speech recordings from nine speakers with PD and DBS were compared between DBS-On and DBS-Off conditions using auditory-perceptual and acoustic analyses. Auditory-perceptual ratings included voice quality, articulation precision, prosody, speech intelligibility, and listening effort obtained from 44 listeners. Acoustic measures were made for voicing proportion, second formant frequency slope, vowel dispersion, articulation rate, and range of fundamental frequency and intensity. RESULTS No significant changes were found between DBS-On and DBS-Off for the five perceptual ratings. Four of six acoustic measures revealed significant differences between the two conditions. While articulation rate and acoustic vowel dispersion increased, voicing proportion and intensity range decreased from the DBS-Off to DBS-On condition. However, a visual examination of the data indicated that the statistical significance was mostly driven by a small number of participants, while the majority did not show a consistent pattern of such changes. CONCLUSIONS Our data, in general, indicate no-to-minimal changes in speech production ensued from DBS stimulation. The findings are discussed with a focus on large interspeaker variability in PD in terms of their speech characteristics and the potential effects of DBS on speech.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunjung Kim
- School of Communication Science and Disorders, Florida State University, Tallahassee
| | - Austin Thompson
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Houston, TX
| | - Ignatius S. B. Nip
- School of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, San Diego State University, CA
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Moya-Galé G, Hernández JD, Goudarzi A, Walsh SJ. ¿Notas La Diferencia? [Do You Hear the Difference?]: Perceptual Consequences of Intensive Voice Treatment in Spanish Speakers With Parkinson's Disease. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2024:1-21. [PMID: 38513128 DOI: 10.1044/2023_jslhr-23-00379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE The primary objective of this study was to explore the effects of intensive voice-focused treatment on speech parameters in Spanish speakers with dysarthria associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) as perceived by naïve listeners. METHOD Fifteen Spanish speakers with dysarthria associated with PD received the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT LOUD) for a month. Voice and speech recordings were conducted pretreatment, posttreatment, and at a 1-month follow-up. Thirty naïve adult listeners rated the perceptual dimensions of ease of understanding (EoU), resonance, articulatory precision, prosody, and voice quality from sentences extracted from an emotional monologue on a visual analogue scale. RESULTS EoU, resonance, articulatory precision, and voice quality significantly improved pre- to posttreatment, but gains were not maintained at follow-up. Speech severity was a significant source of variance in mean listener response for all perceptual dimensions, although the interaction between speech severity and time was only significant for resonance and voice quality. CONCLUSIONS LSVT LOUD may be beneficial to improve perceptual speech domains affected by PD in Spanish speakers with dysarthria. Its impact on the different speech subsystems may reflect a universal distribution of effects when directly targeting the glottal source. Language-specific contributions of each perceptual domain to speech intelligibility should be explored in further research to determine linguistically sensitive treatment targets.
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Levy ES, Moya-Galé G. Revisiting Dysarthria Treatment Across Languages: The Hybrid Approach. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2023:1-10. [PMID: 38056466 DOI: 10.1044/2023_jslhr-23-00629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Ten years after Miller and Lowit's (2014) groundbreaking book providing a cross-linguistic perspective on motor speech disorders, we ask where we are regarding dysarthria treatment across languages in two specific populations: adults with Parkinson's disease (PD) and children with cerebral palsy (CP). METHOD In this commentary, we consider preliminary evidence for both language-independent and language-specific approaches to treatment and propose a hybrid approach to speech treatment across languages, centered on the individual with dysarthria who speaks any given language. CONCLUSIONS Treatment research on individuals with dysarthria secondary to PD and CP is advancing, but several areas remain to be explored. Next steps are suggested for addressing the paucity and complexity of cross-linguistic speech treatment research.
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Wolfrum V, Lehner K, Heim S, Ziegler W. Clinical Assessment of Communication-Related Speech Parameters in Dysarthria: The Impact of Perceptual Adaptation. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2023:1-21. [PMID: 37486782 DOI: 10.1044/2023_jslhr-23-00105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE In current clinical practice, intelligibility of dysarthric speech is commonly assessed by speech-language therapists (SLTs), in most cases by the therapist caring for the patient being diagnosed. Since SLTs are familiar with dysarthria in general and with the speech of the individual patient to be assessed in particular, they have an adaptation advantage in understanding the patient's utterances. We examined whether and how listeners' assessments of communication-related speech parameters vary as a function of their familiarity with dysarthria in general and with the diagnosed patients in particular. METHOD Intelligibility, speech naturalness, and perceived listener effort were assessed in 20 persons with dysarthria (PWD). Patients' speech samples were judged by the individual treating therapists, five dysarthria experts who were unfamiliar with the patients, and crowdsourced naïve listeners. Adaptation effects were analyzed using (a) linear mixed models of overall scoring levels, (b) regression models of severity dependence, (c) network analyses of between-listener and between-parameter relationships, and (d) measures of intra- and interobserver consistency. RESULTS Significant advantages of dysarthria experts over laypeople were found in all parameters. An overall advantage of the treating therapists over nonfamiliar experts was only seen in listening effort. Severity-dependent adaptation effects occurred in all parameters. The therapists' responses were heterogeneous and inconsistent with those of the unfamiliar experts and the naïve listeners. CONCLUSIONS The way SLTs evaluate communication-relevant speech parameters of the PWD whom they care for is influenced not only by adaptation benefits but also by therapeutic biases. This finding weakens the validity of assessments of communication-relevant speech parameters by the treating therapists themselves and encourages the development and use of alternative methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Wolfrum
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
| | - Katharina Lehner
- Clinical Neuropsychology Research Group, Institute for Phonetics and Speech Processing, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Heim
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
- Research Center Jülich, Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine (INM-1), Germany
- JARA - Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen, Germany
| | - Wolfram Ziegler
- Clinical Neuropsychology Research Group, Institute for Phonetics and Speech Processing, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany
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Shellikeri S, Cho S, Ash S, Gonzalez-Recober C, McMillan CT, Elman L, Quinn C, Amado DA, Baer M, Irwin DJ, Massimo L, Olm C, Liberman M, Grossman M, Nevler N. Digital markers of motor speech impairments in natural speech of patients with ALS-FTD spectrum disorders. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.04.29.23289308. [PMID: 37205390 PMCID: PMC10187360 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.29.23289308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Background and objectives Patients with ALS-FTD spectrum disorders (ALS-FTSD) have mixed motor and cognitive impairments and require valid and quantitative assessment tools to support diagnosis and tracking of bulbar motor disease. This study aimed to validate a novel automated digital speech tool that analyzes vowel acoustics from natural, connected speech as a marker for impaired articulation due to bulbar motor disease in ALS-FTSD. Methods We used an automatic algorithm called Forced Alignment Vowel Extraction (FAVE) to detect spoken vowels and extract vowel acoustics from 1 minute audio-recorded picture descriptions. Using automated acoustic analysis scripts, we derived two articulatory-acoustic measures: vowel space area (VSA, in Bark 2 ) which represents tongue range-of-motion (size), and average second formant slope of vowel trajectories (F2 slope) which represents tongue movement speed. We compared vowel measures between ALS with and without clinically-evident bulbar motor disease (ALS+bulbar vs. ALS-bulbar), behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) without a motor syndrome, and healthy controls (HC). We correlated impaired vowel measures with bulbar disease severity, estimated by clinical bulbar scores and perceived listener effort, and with MRI cortical thickness of the orobuccal part of the primary motor cortex innervating the tongue (oralPMC). We also tested correlations with respiratory capacity and cognitive impairment. Results Participants were 45 ALS+bulbar (30 males, mean age=61±11), 22 ALS-nonbulbar (11 males, age=62±10), 22 bvFTD (13 males, age=63±7), and 34 HC (14 males, age=69±8). ALS+bulbar had smaller VSA and shallower average F2 slopes than ALS-bulbar (VSA: | d |=0.86, p =0.0088; F2 slope: | d |=0.98, p =0.0054), bvFTD (VSA: | d |=0.67, p =0.043; F2 slope: | d |=1.4, p <0.001), and HC (VSA: | d |=0.73, p =0.024; F2 slope: | d |=1.0, p <0.001). Vowel measures declined with worsening bulbar clinical scores (VSA: R=0.33, p =0.033; F2 slope: R=0.25, p =0.048), and smaller VSA was associated with greater listener effort (R=-0.43, p =0.041). Shallower F2 slopes were related to cortical thinning in oralPMC (R=0.50, p =0.03). Neither vowel measure was associated with respiratory nor cognitive test scores. Conclusions Vowel measures extracted with automatic processing from natural speech are sensitive to bulbar motor disease in ALS-FTD and are robust to cognitive impairment.
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