Fluent Speech Research Articles

Short- and long-term influences of repeated speech examples on segmentation in an unfamiliar language analog.

Because segments in fluent speech (e.g., words and phrases) are not reliably separated by pauses, a key task when listening to an unfamiliar language is to parse the incoming speech into segments to be learned. We aim to understand how working memory contributes to that segmentation learning. One cue to segmentation occurs when a segment is repeated in varying contexts. Cowan (Acta Psychologica, 77(2), 121-135, 1991) explored a language analog to study how segmentation occurs during immediate memory of speech, and found effects of segment presentation frequency, stimulus length, and serial position. Here we ask whether those effects extend from working memory to long-term memory. Overlapping segments were presented (e.g., mah bar slo mi and slo mi geh), varying numbers of times (presentation frequencies) to determine how varying the schedule of repetition patterns would affect perception of a unified test pattern formed from the two of them (e.g., mah bar slo mi geh). These constructions provide an analogy to how segments occur in varying contexts in speech. Participants were to indicate where they heard the boundaries between syllables. In immediate memory, the perceived boundaries more often reflected the most frequently presented pattern, and often reflected both pattern boundaries (in this example, mah bar / slo mi / geh). In a long-term memory follow-up, however, the original presentation frequencies only mattered for certain short test pattern configurations. We suggest that working memory for speech, without a semantic component, may be an incomplete basis to learn longer segments in an unfamiliar language.

Аналитический обзор методов автоматического анализа экстралингвистических компонентов спонтанной речи

The accuracy of automatic spontaneous speech recognition systems is far from that of trained speech recognition systems. This is due to the fact that spontaneous speech is not as smooth and failure-free as spontaneous speech. Spontaneous speech varies from speaker to speaker: the quality of phonemes’ pronunciation, the presence of pauses, speech disruptions and extralinguistic items (laughing, coughing, sneezing, and chuckling when expressing emotions of irritation, etc.) interrupt the fluency of verbal speech. However, it is worth noting that extralinguistic items very often carry important paralinguistic information, so it is crucial for automatic spontaneous speech recognition systems not only to identify such phenomena and distinguish them from the verbal components of speech but also to classify them. This review presents an analysis of works on the topic of automatic detection and analysis of extralinguistic items in spontaneous speech. Both individual methods and approaches to the recognition of extralinguistic items in a speech stream, and works related to the multiclass classification of isolatedly recorded extralinguistic units are considered and described. The most popular methods of extralinguistic units’ analysis are neural networks, such as deep neural networks and networks based on transformer models. The basic concepts related to the term extralinguistic items are given, the original systematization of extralinguistic items in the Russian language is proposed, the corpus and databases of audio spoken speech both in Russian and in other languages are described, the data sets of extralinguistic items recorded isolatedly are also given. The accuracy of extralinguistic items recognition increases with the following conditions of work with the speech signal: pre-processing of audio signals of items has shown an increase in the accuracy of separately recorded extralinguistic items classification; consideration of context (analysis of several frames of speech signal) and use of filters for smoothing the time series after extraction of feature vectors showed an increase in accuracy in frame-by-frame analysis of the speech signal with spontaneous speech.

Comparison of Working Memory Performance using Auditory N-back Task in Adults who do and do not Stutter

Abstract Introduction: Working memory is considered to be essential for higher-level cognition and phonological encoding. The N-back task is a popular test for evaluating working memory capacity. Phonological working memory which is involved in temporary storage and manipulation of information plays an important role in speech fluency. Previous investigations have revealed a reduced phonological working memory in English-speaking adults with stuttering (AWS). No studies to date have explored the role of phonological memory in Kannada-speaking AWS. The present study aimed to compare the working memory performance in auditory two back tasks between AWS and adults with no stuttering (AWNS). Methods: Participants included were 15 AWS (14 males and 1 female) and 16 AWNS (8 males and 8 females). The present study comprised of two tasks, namely auditory 2 back task for meaningful words (task 1) and auditory 2 back for nonwords (task 2). The participants performed two back tasks for the meaningful words and nonwords and were instructed to say “yes” whenever the same stimulus was heard 2 stimulus back and “no” for the different stimulus. Every accurate response received a score of 1, while an incorrect or no response received a score of 0. Results: The results revealed that AWS performed significantly poorer than AWNS in both tasks 1 and 2, which indicate that AWS has impaired working memory skills. Conclusion: The results of the present study indicated poorer performance of stutterers in auditory n-back test of phonological working memory. This shows that individuals with stuttering having an inadequate phonological working memory when compared to that of their counterparts. This could be due to their inaccurate phonological representations or attentional deficits.

Нейрокогнитивные особенности эссенциального тремора плюс

Essential tremor (ET) is the most common movement disorder, the main manifestation of which is progressive postural-kinetic trembling of the limbs, its pattern most often involving the hands. Recent data indicate a higher frequency of ET in combination with various neurological symptoms, which in the new classification is usually classified as essential tremor plus (ET+). The purpose is to identify and determine the characteristics of intragroup division and changes in neurocognitive status among various forms of ET+ in comparison with ET patients. Material and methods. At the Republic Consultative-diagnostic Center for extra-pyramid pathology and botulin therapy in Kazan, a prospective study was carried out on 116 patients with essential tremor, using clinical, anamnestic and statistical methods of data collection and analysis. Results. Neurocognitive phenotypic variants of ET have been established. It has been proven that all patients with ET, even in the absence of a global decline in intelligence, are characterized by changes in attention, speech fluency, memory, and executive functions; dementia was detected in 28% of patients included in the study. For a reliable diagnosis of ET, in addition to assessing the standard neurological status, it is necessary to assess the severity of tremor using the FTM scale, assessing ataxia using the SARA scale, and assessing the cognitive status using the MOCA test.

Assessment of Executive Functioning in School-Age Children With And Without Stuttering: A case-control study

Background: Stuttering is defined as a neurodevelopmental disorder, with disruptions in the normal fluency and time patterning of speech that are inappropriate for the individual's age and language skills. Executive functions (EF) include various cognitive skills, such as directing the attention required for planning and maintaining thoughts and behaviors, suppressing inappropriate stimuli, keeping the processed information active, and providing the transition between the information. This study was aimed at investigating whether there is a difference between school-age children with and without stuttering about executive functions (EF) skills and attention. Method: Twenty-six children with stuttering (14 boys; mean age=10.1±2.88) and twenty-five children without stuttering (14 boys; mean age=10.2±2.77) aged between 7 and 12 were admitted to the study. The participants were administered the Visual Aural Digit Span Test-B Form (VADS-B), which evaluates working memory and audiovisual attention, and the Cancellation Tests (CT), which evaluates sustained attention. The Parents of the participants were applied the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), which was developed to evaluate executive functions, problem-solving skills and adaptive behaviors. Differences in mean subscores of VADS-B, CT, and BRIEF were analyzed using univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with participant group as the factor and VADS-B, CT, and BRIEF subscores as the dependent variable; Chronological age (years) was designated as a covariate. Results: This study was conducted between two groups that were equal in terms of age, gender, developmental steps (walking, talking, toilet training), family structure, and socioeconomic status (p>0.05). All subscales of VADS-B (aural-verbal, aural-written, visual-verbal, visual-written) were found to be significantly lower in children with stuttering (p<0.05). In cancellation test results, there was a significant difference between the groups in terms of hit scores and total number of errors in organized letter and random letter forms (p<0.05). No difference was found between the two groups in the BRIEF scale completed by the parents (p>0.05). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that school-aged children with stuttering had weaker working memory and sustained attention performance in performance-based tests. Thus, we believe that in the evaluation and treatment of stuttering, comprehensive approaches should be adopted to evaluate attention and executive functions and to improve these functions. In this area, studies with larger samples are needed in which stuttering, attention, and executive functions are evaluated more comprehensively with different tasks (computer-based performance tests, parent-teacher scales, etc.) and neuroimaging (magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]). Lastly, the tasks used in our study (VADS-B, CT, and BRIEF) were applied to Turkish-speaking school-age children with stuttering for the first time. In this regard, we think that our study will contribute to the literature.

Navigating Stuttering Through A Psycho-Somatic Intervention to Improving Speech Fluency in Adults

Navigating Stuttering Through A Psycho-Somatic Intervention to Improving Speech Fluency in Adults

Utility of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale in Understanding Stuttering Issues

Background: Stuttering is a speech fluency disorder that can significantly affect quality of life. Among adults who seek consultations for stuttering, 40–60% have comorbid social anxiety disorder (SAD). The Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) has been developed to assess the severity of SAD, while the overall assessment of the speaker’s experience of stuttering for adults (OASES-A) questionnaire can measure the broader impact of stuttering. However, some medical professionals lack knowledge of such questionnaires. Aims: Here, we aimed to investigate the correlation between the severity of stuttering and the OASES-A, and between the OASES-A and the LSAS. Methods: Overall, 51 adults who stutter were included in this study. Stuttering frequency was assessed using a Japanese test, whereas the OASES-A questionnaire captured the comprehensive impact of stuttering on the participants’ lives. The LSAS was used to measure the severity of social anxiety. Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship between the variables. Results: The average stuttering frequency was 10%, and the mean OASES-A total score was 2.86. The mean total LSAS score was 51.5. While no significant correlation was found between stuttering frequency and OASES-A total scores, a significant correlation was noted between LSAS and OASES-A total scores. Conclusion: This study found that stuttering frequency did not correlate with the OASES-A. Notably, a novel moderate correlation was identified between OASES-A and LSAS total scores. The LSAS may help to evaluate the challenges faced by people who stutter when the OASES-A is unavailable.

Efficacy of Script Training on Broca’s Aphasia Patients

Background: Broca’s Aphasia is a language disorder characterized by difficulties in speech production and fluency, significantly affecting communication. Script training, a language rehabilitation technique, has shown promise in treating this condition. However, its efficacy in a controlled clinical setting had yet to be fully explored. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of script training in improving the expressive language abilities of individuals with Broca’s Aphasia. Methods: This case report study was conducted over a period of six months at the University of Lahore Teaching Hospital. Using purposive sampling, patients diagnosed with Broca’s Aphasia were selected. Participants underwent script training sessions, which involved repetitive practice of personalized scripts. The Mississippi Aphasia Screening Test (MAST) was employed for initial assessments and tracking progress. Ethical considerations were strictly adhered to, with informed consent obtained from all participants. The study included both quantitative and qualitative methods for data analysis. Results: The study demonstrated significant improvements in participants' expressive language abilities. Pre-therapy MAST scores averaged at 10/50, which increased to an average of 23/50 post-therapy. Notable areas of improvement included Naming (from 3/10 to 6/10), Automatic Speech (from 1/10 to 6/10), and Verbal Fluency (from 1/10 to 6/10). However, Repetition and Writing/Spelling showed minimal changes. Conclusion: Script training showed a significant positive impact on the expressive language skills of individuals with Broca’s Aphasia. This suggests that script training can be a beneficial therapeutic intervention in the language rehabilitation of Broca’s Aphasia patients, particularly in enhancing Naming, Automatic Speech, and Verbal Fluency. Future studies should investigate long-term effects and the integration of script training with other therapeutic approaches.

CLINICAL-PSYCHOPATHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE STRUCTURE AND EXPRESSION OF NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE SYMPTOMS IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA

The aim: to determine the features of the clinical-psychopathological structure and severity of negative and positive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia to improve diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia.
 Materials and methods. 252 patients with negative symptoms (NS) in schizophrenia and 79 patients with positive symptoms (PS) in schizophrenia were examined. The research used a comprehensive approach, which consisted in the use of clinical-psychopathological, psychometric (PANSS scale) and statistical research methods.
 Results. Manifestations of positive symptoms in patients with NS in schizophrenia were mainly delineated by delusions of a minimal and weak level; minimal manifestations of delirium, unusual behavior and thought disorders; the predominance of patients with no disorders, minimal disorders and a weak level of disorders of hallucinatory behavior, excitement, ideas of grandeur, suspiciousness, and hostility. Manifestations of negative symptoms in patients with NS in schizophrenia were characterized by a predominance of medium and severe levels of blunted affect; moderate and average levels of emotional alienation; violation of abstract thinking of a weak and moderate level; average level of impaired fluency and spontaneity of speech; moderate communication impairment; passive-apathetic social detachment of the average level.
 Among patients with PS in schizophrenia, the manifestations of positive symptoms were mainly delineated by delusions of medium and strong levels of severity; moderate and pronounced manifestations of delirium; a moderate level of severity of thinking disorders and unusual behavior; predominance of moderate, medium and strong levels of expression of hallucinatory behavior, excitement, ideas of grandeur, suspicion and hostility. Manifestations of negative symptoms in patients with PS in schizophrenia were characterized by a predominance of a minimal level of expression of dulled affect, social exclusion and impaired fluency and spontaneity of speech; minimal and weak levels of emotional alienation; average level of communication disorders and abstract thinking.
 Conclusions. Features of the clinical-psychopathological structure and severity of negative and positive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia were established. The obtained data can serve as diagnostic criteria for conducting differential diagnosis and choosing treatment strategies for patients with schizophrenia.

Lending a hand to speech

Abstract This study examines the effect of gestures on second language (L2) pitch measures and fluency in storytelling tasks. It is well documented that L2 learners commonly use gestures in conversations and storytelling. Research has shown that gestures benefit L2 word learning and recall, but it is still unclear to what extent gestures affect speech fluency and pitch range. We compared a series of speech fluency and pitch measures across two storytelling tasks: task repetition and explicit instruction on the use of gestures. By analysing the use of gestures in these tasks, we provide insights on how gestures can help L2 fluency and intonation.

Oral Motor Exercise in Improving the Movements Of The Jaw, Lip, Tongue in Case of Oral Phase Dysphagia on a Cerebral Palsy Patient

The dysphagia case in children with cerebral palsy is a disorder that must be treated immediately because it will have a serious impact on the child's health and speech fluency. The Oral motor exercise method is one of the therapies to improve jaw, neck, and tongue movements in patients with cerebral palsy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the oral motor exercise on a dysphagia patient of 3-years old with cerebral palsy disorder at Syamsudin SH Hospital, Sukabumi, from January to March 2019. This type of research is a descriptive quantitative method with single subject experiment. A research subject was a patient with cerebral palsy, a 3- years old – boy who has dysphagia. The patient cannot speak and only cries and says 'AAAA' if he wanted something and the patient was choking and coughing when eating or drinking. To deal with this problem, 20 sessions of therapy and 1 evaluation were carried out. The results showed that by comparing the results of the initial test and the final test, there was an increase in the ability to move the organs of the lips, tongue, jaw, and chewing movements of the patient. In the initial test, the patient got 2 points and the final test result. the patient got 4 points which indicated 50% success scale. From the therapeutic success scale obtained, it was concluded that the therapy was quite successful.

Stuttering worsened with atomoxetine treatment in a child with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder

Stuttering; is defined as a deterioration in the fluency and timing of speech that can occur at any age, and which is inappropriate to the individual’s age and language skills. Several factors play a role in its etiology. Medications are one such factor. Atomoxetine is a drug that is frequently employed and well- tolerated in the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents. Stuttering is not a common side- effect when using atomoxetine. This report describes, a seven-year-old patient whose stuttering worsened significantly during atomoxetine use. This case is reported due to the scarcity of cases in which stuttering worsened during the use of atomoxetine.

Zooming into the L2 Speech Fluency Markers of Anxious and Non-Anxious Advanced L2 Learners – an Extreme Case Sampling Report

The study examines selected temporal markers of L2 utterance fluency in the speech of advanced L2 learners who exhibit high (HLA) and low (LLA) language anxiety levels. Out of the pool of 59 participants, six HLA and six LLA individuals were selected for an in-depth analysis on the basis of their scores on the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (the FLCAS) (Horwitz, Horwitz, & Cope, 1986). Speech samples from a monologue task were examined for selected L2 utterance fluency measures: filled (FP) and silent pause (SP) frequency, mean length of silent pause (MLSP), articulation rate (AR), speech rate (SR), and mean length of run (MLR). The results provided insights into the L2 speech fluency profiles of anxious and non-anxious individuals. The analysis disclosed relatively higher frequency and disparate application of FPs, slower speed of speech, and more varied profiles in MLR in the HLA group as compared to the LLA group. The findings yield pedagogical and methodological implications.

Changes in Cognitive Functions after Carotid Endarterectomy and Carotid Stenting: A Decade-Apart Comparison.

This study investigates changes in cognitive function in patients with severe carotid stenosis who underwent carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid stenting (CAS) over two decades. We compared cognitive function within 30 days after the procedure in 267 patients (first 100 each for CEA and CAS in two periods: 2008-2012 and 2018-2022) in a single institution. Assessments used Adenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R), the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Speech Fluency Test (SFT), and Clock Drawing Test (CDT), conducted before and 30 ± 2 days after surgery. Patients (mean age 67.2 years, 70%+ carotid stenosis) exhibited different cognitive changes over periods. In 2008-2012, significant declines in MMSE (CEA, p = 0.049) and CDT (CAS, p = 0.015) were observed among asymptomatic patients. On the contrary, in 2018-2022, improvements were observed in ACE-R and MMSE for symptomatic and asymptomatic patients undergoing CEA and CAS. Over a decade, advances in interventional techniques and patient management have reduced risks of cognitive decline in patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis and also have improved cognitive functions in both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals.

Young Children's Temperament and Their Emerging Prejudice Against Stuttering

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to determine whether typically developing children's temperament is associated with their awareness and emerging prejudice against stuttering. Method: The emotional reactivity and emotion regulation of 42 typically developing 3- to 7-year-old children were assessed using parent report of temperament (i.e., Children's Behavioral Questionnaire). Children viewed a video of two puppets, one with fluent speech and the other with nonfluent speech. Children were prompted to answer questions to assess their awareness of stuttering as well as their preference for fluent speech and negative evaluation of stuttering, with the latter two being combined to index children's emerging prejudice against stuttering. Results: Findings indicated that typically developing children's positive emotional reactivity was significantly associated with their verbally expressed awareness of stuttering. In addition, children's higher negative emotional reactivity was significantly associated with greater emerging prejudice against stuttering. Conclusion: Findings were taken to suggest that young typically developing children's emotional reactivity may play an important role in developing awareness of stuttering and prejudice against stuttering in their early years.

Research on the Reform of the Teaching Mode of Rural English Education Assistance Based on the Technical Support of Network Technology

Abstract Under the background of the development of network technology, this paper aims to promote rural English teaching and constructs an English teaching model that combines English recognition technology and rural teaching. The main process of speech recognition is examined by analyzing different speech recognition technologies. Using a deep learning network, an English speech recognition model has been established. Combined with the English acoustic features in the network data, fluency of English speech is evaluated. Data embedding is performed on the English sequences in the network, combined with the sequence probability in the English data, so as to determine whether the English speech is correct or not. The Eval value for the English recognition model based on deep learning is 5.49%, while the test value is 5.89%, as per the results. As the English dataset increases, so does the English recognition technique proposed in this paper, and the accuracy remains above 0.6, and when the dataset is 500, the speech recognition accuracy is 0.8. The teaching model that combines speech recognition techniques with English teaching improves students’ English to a certain extent.

COMMUNICATION ORIENTED APPROACH TO THE FORMATION OF GRAMMAR COMPETENCE IN THE STUDENTS OF HIGHER MEDICAL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

The article deals with grounding of the use of English grammar tasks as a component of forming communicative competence in the students of higher medical educational institutions. The essence of grammar competence as an important component of the future medic's communicative competence is found out, and the need for learning grammar in order to be able to express one’s thoughts properly is emphasized. English communicative approach to medical students’ professional competence is an integral aspect of professionally oriented study at the higher medical educational institution, and is formed through mastering the specifics of language competence at its phonetic, lexical, and grammar levels, particular attention being focused on the analysis of scientifically grounded classification of the exercise system aimed at the formation of grammar competence as a fundamental basis for professionally targeted English course. The issues of semantic content for professionally targeted English, selection of training grammatical material, and development of communicative component in the process of students' mastering English language skills are under consideration. Main components of medical students' grammar competence are characterized; science-based classification of grammar tasks for the formation of English language communication is considered, the emphasis being put on the role of grammar for the proper formulation of thoughts. Both theoretical and methodological aspects of communicative approach to learning English grammar, which is studied through combining grammar, lexical, and phonetic phenomena, are covered. In particular, when teaching correct sentence construction, their semantic and thematic content are considered, grammar skills being formed both at the level of separate structures and fluent dialogue-monologue speech. The use of communicative type grammar tasks at professionally targeted classes of English has been found to develop speech skills and abilities that make possible to estimate and express one's thoughts along with training attention, memory, developing thinking and having high motivation characteristics.

Regional amyloid‐β is linked to disruptions in connected speech in amnestic mild cognitive impairment

AbstractBackgroundSpeech changes in amnesic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) are potential markers for the early detection of Alzheimer disease (AD). However, few studies investigate the relationship between speech and amyloid‐β burden. The focus of this study was to examine the relationship between the linguistic features and the distribution of amyloid‐β load in aMCI.MethodThis study recruited 25 aMCI patients (52% female, aged 70‐85 years) and 25 healthy elders (44% female, aged 68‐80 years) from the memory clinic of Cardinal Tian Hospital in Taiwan. All participants received [18F] florbetaben PET and standardized cognitive tests. Amyloid‐β load using a standardized uptake value ratio (SUVr) was estimated from 5 cortical regions (parietal, frontal, cingulate, temporal, and occipital). Spontaneous speech was recorded using the picture description task (three Taiwanese culture‐related pictures) and transcribed verbatim. Linguistic features were extracted, including lexical richness (total words, unique words, type‐token‐ratio, lexical density, and frequency), syntactic complexity (mean length of utterance/sentence, ratio of verbs/pronouns/passive sentence), and speech fluency (ratio of long pauses/ fillers).ResultEighteen subjects with high amyloid burden (SUVr > 1.21) progressed (defined as CDR‐SB change≧1) within 1 year. We performed linear regression analyses between linguistic features (dependent variables, separate models) and amyloid‐β load in brain regions. Analyses were adjusted for age and education. The data revealed that a high amyloid‐β burden in the frontal region was associated with fewer unique words, less lexical density, and an increased proportion of long pauses and fillers. Reduced passive sentence, short mean length of utterance and lower scores on episodic memory tests related to increased amyloid‐β burden in the parietal region.ConclusionLexical richness and speech fluency was associated with amyloid‐β burden in the frontal region, indicating that voluntary lexical retrieval may require the additional recruitment of frontal lobe. Less syntactic complexity related to increased amyloid‐β burden in the parietal region. In conclusion, regional amyloid‐β is linked to subtle spontaneous speech deficits in aMCI.

노화에 따른 음질과 구어 유창성의 음향학적 특성 변화*

노화에 따른 음질과 구어 유창성의 음향학적 특성 변화*

Potential Implications of Task-Based Language Teaching on Developing EFL Learners' Oral Fluency

Task-based language teaching (TBLT) is an instructional approach that cultivates communicative competence by exposing learners to English speaking practice. This study examined the perceptions and implications of implementing ten fluency-based tasks with twenty EFL learners at a private university in Medellin, Colombia. These tasks addressed barriers, including a significant frequency of pauses, a low speech rate, and limited speech length, which hindered learners' ability to express themselves fluently. The research used qualitative date collected by means of a questionnaire, interviews, and oral production rubrics. The findings indicated that 100% of the learners held a positive perspective of TBL as a qualified methodology that assisted them in reducing the considerable number of pauses in communicating their ideas, moderating their pacing smoothness, and balancing their speech rate to speak with a moderate clearness and consistency. Learners valued the strategy as a potential method that enabled them to communicate their ideas, regardless of occasional mistakes. In conclusion, the tasks aided them in increasing their speech rate and enhancing speech fluency during conversations.