Prediction of vowel intelligibility based on acoustic characteristics in speakers with Parkinson’s disease

Abstract

This study investigated the contribution of acoustic features produced by three vowel contrasts (front–back, high–low, tense–lax) to the intelligibility of the contrast and overall speech intelligibility in speakers with Parkinson’s disease. Multiple regression analyses were used to determine which acoustic measures or combination of measures accounted significantly for the variance in the intelligibility measures. The predictor variables in the multivariate analysis included acoustic measures thought to represent essential perceptual cues to signal the vowel contrast. These findings are discussed in relation to specific areas of production deficiency that are consistent with Parkinson’s disease. [Work supported by NIH R03 DC005902.]