Characteristics of Hypokinetic Dysarthria Patients' Speech based on Sustained Vowel Phonation and Connected Speech

Abstract

This study investigated the characteristics of Parkinson's disease patients' speech through difference of measured cepstral values of speech assignment (sustained vowel phonation, connected speech) between normal adults and patient's with Parkinson's disease in Korea. Subjects of the study were 17 males with Parkinson's disease and control group was 28 healthy male adults without cranial nerve damage or disorder. Speech was collected in sustained vowel phonation and connected speech respectively. The cepstral analysis was used to Analysis of Dysphonia in Speech and Voice (ADSV) Model 5109 of KayPENTAX Corp. Difference of measured value between the groups was confirmed with independent t-test. As the result of independent t-test, there was significant difference in CPP, L/H ratio and CSID of sustained vowel phonation between groups. In contrast, in connected speech, all the measured values have no significant difference between the two groups except CPP. Parkinson's disease patients had difference in speech characteristics depending on speech assignment (sustained vowel phonation, connected speech). Based on the results of this study, analysis on connected speech other than sustained vowel phonation is essentially required in order to precisely identify the speech characteristics Parkinson's disease patients.