Acoustic characteristics of vowels in dysarthria: A comparison of clear and conversational speech.

Abstract

The impact of dysarthria on vowel production has been demonstrated in a variety of studies. Acoustically, these deficits often take the form of a reduced or collapsed vowel space area, reduced F2 interquartile range, and reduced vowel transition slopes and extents. Research further suggests that these segmental deficits may help to explain reduced intelligibility or overall speech severity, at least for some speakers with dysarthria. Clear speech shows some promise for improving vowel production in dysarthria as well as for maximizing intelligibility. Comparative group studies investigating clear speech in dysarthria are lacking, however. The current study will report acoustic measures of vowel production for individuals with dysarthria secondary to Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, and healthy controls. As part of a larger study, speakers read 25 Harvard Sentences in a variety of speaking conditions, including Habitual or conversational and Clear. Static and dynamic segmental measures of vowel production will be reported. Group effects as well as individual speaker trends will be explored. [Work supported by NIH.]