Lingual Kinematics Research Articles

Cortex-dependent corrections as the tongue reaches for and misses targets.

Precise tongue control is necessary for drinking, eating and vocalizing1-3. However, because tongue movements are fast and difficult to resolve, neural control of lingual kinematics remains poorly understood. Here we combine kilohertz-frame-rate imaging and a deep-learning-based neural network to resolve 3D tongue kinematics in mice drinking from a water spout. Successful licks required corrective submovements that-similar to online corrections during primate reaches4-11-occurred after the tongue missed unseen, distant or displaced targets. Photoinhibition of anterolateral motor cortex impaired corrections, which resulted in hypometric licks that missed the spout. Neural activity in anterolateral motor cortex reflected upcoming, ongoing and past corrective submovements, as well as errors in predicted spout contact. Although less than a tenth of a second in duration, a single mouse lick exhibits the hallmarks of online motor control associated with a primate reach, including cortex-dependent corrections after misses.

Spatial and Temporal Lingual Coarticulation and Motor Control in Preadolescents

PURPOSE In this study, the authors compared coarticulation and lingual kinematics in preadolescents and adults in order to establish whether preadolescents had a greater degree of random variability in tongue posture and whether their patterns of lingual coarticulation differed from those of adults. METHOD High-speed ultrasound tongue contour data synchronized with the acoustic signal were recorded from 15 children (ages 10-12 years) and 15 adults. Tongue shape contours were analyzed at 9 normalized time points during the fricative phase of schwa-fricative-/a/ and schwa-fricative-/i/ sequences with the consonants /s/ and /ʃ/. RESULTS There was no significant age-related difference in random variability. Where a significant vowel effect occurred, the amount of coarticulation was similar in the 2 groups. However, the onset of the coarticulatory effect on preadolescent /ʃ/ was significantly later than on preadolescent /s/, and also later than on adult /s/ and /ʃ/. CONCLUSIONS Preadolescents have adult-like precision of tongue control and adult-like anticipatory lingual coarticulation with respect to spatial characteristics of tongue posture. However, there remains some immaturity in the motor programming of certain complex tongue movements.

Effect of speech loudness manipulations on articulatory dynamics in severe traumatic brain injury

BackgroundAlteration of speech loudness is an important component of the treatment of dysarthria aimed at improving speech intelligibility and/or naturalness of speech.ObjectiveTo determine the effects of manipulations of speech loudness (habitual vs. loud) on lingual kinematics and tongue-to-palate contacts in adult speakers with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and matched normal controls.Materials and methodsSix adults with severe TBI and five matched non-neurologically impaired controls underwent testing of their articulatory function using electromagnetic articulography and electropalatography (EPG).ResultsLoudness-related scaling of articulatory movements was observed in both the control and TBI groups for speech tasks that demonstrated a significant magnitude of loudness change in the absence of any reduction in speech rate. The TBI group demonstrated these effects during sentence production and during repetition of velar syllables. In contrast, the control group only exhibited an upscaling of articulatory movements for loud speech during repetition of alveolar syllables. Although the TBI group was significantly louder for all tasks than the control group, they also exhibited a significant decrease in overall speech rate compared to controls during sentence production at the loud level. Articulatory kinematics during loud speech production was comparable between the two groups. EPG results indicated no significant difference between the control and TBI groups for the loud condition on the temporal aspects of tongue-to-palate contact. The TBI group did show a significantly greater number of EPG contacts than controls during repetition of velar syllables.ConclusionsAlthough the TBI group differed to controls in loudness level and overall speech rate, their articulatory kinematics during loud speech were comparable. It is possible that upscaling of articulatory movements associated with increased loudness may have been offset by the downscaling of articulatory movements associated with reduced rate of speech.

Lingual kinematics during rapid syllable repetition in Parkinson's disease

Rapid syllable repetition tasks are commonly used in the assessment of motor speech disorders. However, little is known about the articulatory kinematics during rapid syllable repetition in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). To investigate and compare lingual kinematics during rapid syllable repetition in dysarthric speakers with PD (DPD), non-dysarthric speakers with PD (NDPD) and a group of healthy controls. Electromagnetic articulography was used to record tongue-tip and tongue-back movement in five DPD and five NDPD participants during rapid repetition of /ta/and /ka/syllables, and matched with six healthy controls. Results revealed significant between-group differences for most of the kinematic parameters measured but comparable rapid syllable repetition rates. Post-hoc analyses indicated that the DPD participants, when compared with the NDPD participants, had similar range but prolonged duration of lingual movement. The DPD and NDPD participants had primarily increased range and prolonged duration of lingual movement accompanied by increased speed parameters, when compared with healthy controls. The findings of the present study contradict theories that suggest that the clinical features of hypokinetic dysarthria, including articulatory imprecision, are the outcome of restrictions in the range of movement of the muscles of the articulators. The observed prolonged duration of lingual movement in PD may plausibly be due to the observed increased range of lingual movement rather than slowness of lingual movement.

Lingual Kinematics During Speech in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis

Electromagnetic articulography (EMA) was used to examine lingual kinematicsin a heterogeneous group of seven adults with Multiple Sclerosis(MS), including two with relapsing-remitting and five with primary progressiveforms of MS, with the latter group including two participantswith dysarthria. Tongue tip and tongue body movements were tracked astwo sentences, one loaded with alveolar consonants and the other withvelar consonants, were read aloud six times each. The results are reportedas a series of descriptive case reports. Subclinical kinematic disturbanceswere identified in nondysarthric participants with MS. Specifically, theresults revealed that two MS participants (one dysarthric, one nondysarthric)exhibited significantly increased sentence durations compared tothe control group (n = 14). Two other MS participants (one dysarthric,one nondysarthric) exhibited significantly increased tongue movementspeed and distances, the effects of which may have counteracted to resultin comparable sentence durations to the control group. The remainingthree non-dysarthric participants with MS exhibited comparable values altothe control group for each kinematic parameter, with the exception ofincreased tongue back articulatory stiffness for one participant. The possiblemechanisms underlying the increased tongue movement duration,speed, and distance values are explored, including compensatory strategiesfor motor control disturbances.

Articulatory Kinematics in the Dysarthria Associated with Friedreich’s Ataxia

Electromagnetic articulography (EMA) was used to investigate the tongue kinematics in the dysarthria associated with Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA). The subject group consisted of four individuals diagnosed with FRDA. Five nonneurologically impaired individuals, matched for age and gender, served as controls. Each participant was assessed using the AG-200 EMA system during six repetitions of the tongue tip sentence Tess told Dan to stay fit and the tongue back sentence Karl got a croaking frog. Results revealed reduced speed measures (i.e., maximum acceleration / deceleration / velocity), greater movement durations and increased articulatory distances for the approach phases of consonant productions. The approach phase, involving movement up to the palate, was more affected than the release phase. It is suggested that deviant lingual kinematics could be the outcome of disturbances to cerebellar function, or possibly in combination with disturbances to upper motor neuron systems.

Communication Impairments in Parkinson's Disease

Communication Impairments in Parkinson's Disease

Lingual Kinematics in Dysarthric and Nondysarthric Speakers with Parkinson's Disease

Articulatory dysfunction is recognised as a major contributor to the speech disturbances seen in Parkinson's disease (PD). The present study aimed to compare lingual kinematics during consonant production within a sentence in eight dysarthric (DPD) and seven nondysarthric (NDPD) speakers with PD with those of eleven nonneurologically impaired normal participants. The tongue tip and tongue back movements of the participants during sentence production were recorded using electromagnetic articulography (EMA). Results showed that both the DPD and NDPD had deviant articulatory movement during consonant production that resulted in longer duration of consonant production. When compared with the NDPD group, the DPD group primarily exhibited increased range of lingual movement and compatible duration of production with an accompanying increase in maximum velocity, maximum acceleration, and maximum deceleration. These findings are contrary to proposed theories that suggest articulatory imprecision in dysarthric speakers with PD is the outcome of reduced range of articulatory movement.

Kinematic analysis of lingual movements during consonant productions in dysarthric speakers with Friedreich's ataxia: A case-by-case analysis

Articulatory kinematics were investigated using electromagnetic articulography (EMA) in four dysarthric speakers with Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA). Specifically, tongue-tip and tongue-back movements were recorded by the AG-200 EMA system during production of the consonants /t/ and /k/ as produced within a sentence utterance and during a rapid syllable repetition task. The results obtained for each of the participants with FRDA were individually compared to those obtained by a control group (n = 10). Results revealed significantly greater movement durations and increased articulatory distances, most predominantly during the approach phase of consonant production. A task difference was observed with lingual kinematics more disturbed during the syllable repetition task than during the sentence utterance. Despite expectations of slowed articulatory movements in FRDA dysarthria, the EMA data indicated that the observed prolongation of consonant phase durations was generally associated with greater articulatory distances, rather than slowed movement execution.

Kinematic analysis of lingual function in dysarthric speakers with Parkinson's disease: An electromagnetic articulograph study

Dysarthria in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) has been widely studied. However, a limited number of studies have investigated lingual function during speech production in this population. This study aimed to investigate lingual kinematics during speech production using electromagnetic articulography (AG-200 EMA). The PD group consisted of eight dysarthric speakers with PD and was matched with a group of eight controls. The tongue tip and tongue back movements of all participants during sentence production were recorded by EMA. Results showed that, perceptually, the participants with PD were mildly dysarthric. Kinematic results documented comparable (for alveolar sentence production) and increased (for velar sentence production) range of lingual movement in the PD group when compared to the control group. Lingual movement velocity, acceleration, and deceleration were also increased in the PD group, predominantly for the release phase of consonant production during sentence utterances. The PD group had longer duration in the production of alveolar consonant and comparable duration in the production of velar consonant. The results of the present study suggest the presence of impaired lingual control in individuals with PD. Increased range of articulatory movement, primarily in the release phase of consonant production, may account for articulatory imprecision in this population.

Lingual kinematics and coarticulation for alveolopalatal and velar consonants in Catalan

Vertical lingual movement data for the alveolopalatal consonants /ʃ/ and /ɲ/ and for the dorsovelar consonant /k/ in Catalan /aCa/ sequences produced by three speakers reveal that the tongue body travels a smaller distance at a slower speed and in a longer time during the lowering period extending from the consonant into the following vowel (CV) than during the rising period extending from the preceding vowel into the consonant (VC). For two speakers, two-phase trajectories characterized by two successive velocity peaks occur more frequently during the former period than during the latter, whether associated with tongue blade and dorsum (for alveolopalatals) or with the tongue dorsum articulator alone (for velars). Greater tongue dorsum involvement for /ɲ/ and /k/ than for /ʃ/ accounts for a different kinematic relationship between the four articulatory phases. The lingual gesture for alveolopalatals and, less so, that for velars may exert more prominent spatial and temporal effects on V2 than on V1 which is in agreement with the salience of the C-to-V carryover component associated with these consonants according to previous coarticulation studies. These kinematic and coarticulation data may be attributed to tongue dorsum biomechanics to a large extent.

Kinematic investigation of lingual movement in words of increasing length in acquired apraxia of speech

The current study aimed to use electromagnetic articulography (EMA) to investigate the effect of increasing word length on lingual kinematics in acquired apraxia of speech (AOS). Tongue‐tip and tongue‐back movement was recorded for five speakers with AOS and a concomitant aphasia (mean age = 53.6 years; SD = 12.60) during target consonant production (i.e. /t, s, k/ singletons; /kl, sk/ clusters), for one and two syllable stimuli. The results obtained for each of the participants with AOS were individually compared to those obtained by a control group (n = 12; mean age = 52.08 years; SD = 12.52). Results indicated that the participants with AOS exhibited longer movement durations and, in some instances, larger tongue movements during consonant singletons and consonant cluster constituents embedded within mono‐ and multisyllabic utterances. Despite this, two participants with AOS exhibited a word length effect that was comparable with the control speakers, and possibly indicative of an intact phonological system.

Lingual Kinematics During Sentence Production in Adults with Dysarthria at 6 and 12 Months Post Stroke

AbstractThe aim of the present study was to investigate lingual kinematics during sentence production in dysarthric individuals. Three males, aged between 35 and 69 years with dysarthric speech post stroke were assessed at 6 months and 12 months post stroke using the electromagnetic articulography AG-200. A group of 15 non-neurologically impaired males, aged between 36 and 72 years (mean = 56.33 years, SD = 15.59) served as the control speakers. Two target sentences, “Tess told Dan to stay f it” and “Karl got a croaking frog,” were used to measure tongue-tip and tongueback movements, respectively, at habitual and fast rates of speech. Articulatory kinematic data, namely duration, distance, velocity, acceleration, and deceleration, were obtained for both sentences. Detailed profiles of the articulatory kinematics exhibited by each of the individual dysarthric speakers at 6 and 12 months post stroke compared to controls are presented. Results showed that one of the dysarthric speakers exhibited kinematic pa...

Lingual kinematics and coordination in speech‐disordered children exhibiting differentiated versus undifferentiated lingual gestures

Electropalatographic investigations have revealed that a proportion of children with articulation/phonological disorders exhibit undifferentiated lingual gestures, whereby the whole of the tongue contacts the palate simultaneously during lingual consonant production. These undifferentiated lingual gestures have been interpreted to reflect a 'motor constraint', with the tongue tip and body incapable of operating independently. The present study aimed to provide further insight into the speech motor control abilities of children with articulation/phonological disorders by using electromagnetic articulography to track the movements (velocity, acceleration, distance, duration) of, and the coordination between, the tongue tip and tongue body during lingual consonant production. Comparisons were made between two children with persistent articulation/phonological disorders who exhibited differentiated electropalatographic gestures (9.58 and 10 years), one child with persistent articulation/phonological disorder who demonstrated undifferentiated lingual gestures (11 years), and a group of four control children (mean age=10.98 years, standard deviation=0.48). The children were asked to read aloud single-syllable words containing word-initial /t, s, k/ consonants, with tongue tip and tongue body movements recorded using the electromagnetic articulography AG200 system (Carstens Medizinelektronik GmbH, Germany). Kinematic analysis revealed increased kinematic values for /s/ for the two children with articulation/phonological disorders and differentiated electropalatographic gestures compared with the control group. One of these children also exhibited increased /k/ duration. Reduced acceleration was exhibited by one child with differentiated electropalatographic gestures during /t/ production, and by the child with undifferentiated lingual gestures during /k/. Regarding coordination, lag times between the tongue tip and body were variable between and within children. Spatial contribution to consonant production discriminated between the children with differentiated electropalatographic gestures and undifferentiated lingual gestures, with excessive movement of the tongue body exhibited for alveolar consonants by the child with undifferentiated lingual gestures. All three of the children with articulation/phonological disorders demonstrated aberrant lingual kinematics. The child who exhibited undifferentiated lingual gestures further exhibited excess tongue body movement during alveolar consonants, suggestive of poor motor control, an immature or deviant bracing system, and/or a compensatory mechanism to counteract potential disturbances in tongue tip fine motor control. Electromagnetic articulography provided a means of examining speech motor control deficits, including disturbances in tongue movement and coordination, in children with articulation/phonological disorders.

Influence of bolus consistency on lingual behaviors in sequential swallowing.

Thickened liquids are a commonly recommended intervention for dysphagia. Previous research has documented differences in temporal aspects of bolus transit for paste versus liquid consistencies; however, the influence of liquid viscosity on tongue movements during swallowing remains unstudied. We report an analysis of the influence of bolus consistency on lingual kinematics during swallowing. Electromagnetic midsagittal articulography was used to trace tongue body and dorsum movement during sequential swallows of three bolus consistencies: thin, nectar-thick, and honey-thick liquids. Rheological profiling was conducted to characterize viscosity and density differences among six liquids (two of each consistency). Eight healthy volunteers participated; four were in a younger age cohort (under age 30) and four were over the age of 50. The primary difference observed across the liquids of interest was a previously unreported phenomenon of sip-mass modulation; both flavor and density appeared to influence sip-sizing behaviors. Additionally, significantly greater variability in lingual movement patterns was observed in the older subject group. Systematic variations in lingual kinematics related to bolus consistency were restricted to the variability of downward tongue dorsum movement. Otherwise, the present analysis failed to find empirical evidence of significant modulations in tongue behaviors across the thin to honey-thick consistency range.

Effects of speaking rate on EMA‐derived lingual kinematics: a preliminary investigation

Electromagnetic articulography (EMA) was used to investigate how tongue movement characteristics (i.e., velocity, acceleration, duration, distance) change with, or indeed affect, increased rates of speech. Eight young adult males repeated /ta/ and /ka/ syllables first at a moderate rate that had been modelled at three syllables per second, and then ‘as fast as possible’. Distance travelled by the tongue appeared to be the principal lingual kinematic feature manipulated by the group of speakers in producing increased syllable repetition rates, with velocity found to increase, decrease or remain unchanged. Acceleration remained unchanged, except in the case of increased velocity. One participant formed an exception in terms of manipulating distance by exhibiting marginally increased lingual velocities rather than distance changes. This preliminary study serves to direct future EMA‐based studies of speech rate control as to the speech tasks that should be employed and the possible underlying anatomical and acoustic bases or constraints that could possibly influence the kinematic strategies employed to increase speech rate.

Toward the development of articulatory signatures for intelligibility test words: Lingual kinematics

The development of “normal” articulatory signatures for intelligibility test words should eventually permit highly specific designations of the articulatory basis of intelligibility deficits in persons with motor speech disorders. Our study of lingual kinematics for selected words, using x-ray microbeam data, suggests that a major obstacle to the construction of such signatures is the substantial interspeaker variability in pellet trajectories for a given word. This variability will be reported, ways in which it might be minimized will be discussed, and some analyses of relationships between lingual kinematics and vocalic formant trajectories will be described. One conclusion that has emerged from analyses to date is that typically used kinematic measurands such as peak velocity, instantaneous acceleration, and so forth, will not be very useful in the development of an articulatory signature. Rather, the unfolding of articulatory gestures over time must somehow be incorporated into the signature concept. [Work supported by NIH.]

Lingual kinematics and acoustic durations

In a previous paper [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Suppl. I 71, S105 (1982)] we showed that in /pVCVp/sequences, the duration of the lingual V1C transition was inversely related to the lingual displacement for the CV2 transition, while the displacement and maximum velocity of CV2 were inversely related to the displacement of V1C. Relationships among acoustic durations and these kinematic variables were examined further. The acoustic duration of V1 was related to the duration of the V1C transition, while the duration of V2 was related, less consistently, to both the duration and displacement of the CV2 transition. The duration of V1 (V1 = /a/) was negatively related to the displacement of CV2, but the duration of V2 was not systematically related to the displacement of V1C. In addition, movements toward closure, relative to V1 acoustic onset, started earlier for greater V1C displacements. Movements toward V2, relative to V1 acoustic offset, started earlier for greater CV2 displacements and maximum velocities. Further, closure duration was negatively related to the displacement and maximum velocity of the CV2 transition. Coproduction of vowels and consonants will be discussed.