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Quantifying speech rhythm abnormalities in the dysarthrias

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Laurence WhiteORCiD

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Abstract

Purpose: In this study, the authors examined whether rhythm metrics capable of distinguishing languages with high and low temporal stress contrast also can distinguish among control and dysarthric speakers of American English with perceptually distinct rhythm patterns. Methods: Acoustic measures of vocalic and consonantal segment durations were obtained for speech samples from 55 speakers across 5 groups (hypokinetic, hyperkinetic, flaccid-spastic, ataxic dysarthrias, and controls). Segment durations were used to calculate standard and new rhythm metrics. Discriminant function analyses (DFAs) were used to determine which sets of predictor variables (rhythm metrics) best discriminated between groups (control vs. dysarthrias; and among the 4 dysarthrias). A cross-validation method was used to test the robustness of each original DFA. Results: The majority of classification functions were more than 80% successful in classifying speakers into their appropriate group. New metrics that combined successive vocalic and consonantal segments emerged as important predictor variables. DFAs pitting each dysarthria group against the combined others resulted in unique constellations of predictor variables that yielded high levels of classification accuracy. Conclusions: This study confirms the ability of rhythm metrics to distinguish control speech from dysarthrias and to discriminate dysarthria subtypes. Rhythm metrics show promise for use as a rational and objective clinical tool. © American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Liss JM, White L, Mattys SL, Lansford K, Lotto AJ, Spitzer SM, Caviness JN

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research

Year: 2009

Volume: 52

Issue: 5

Pages: 1334-1352

Print publication date: 01/10/2009

ISSN (print): 1092-4388

ISSN (electronic): 1558-9102

Publisher: American Speech - Language - Hearing Association

URL: https://doi.org/10.1044/1092-4388(2009/08-0208)

DOI: 10.1044/1092-4388(2009/08-0208)

PubMed id: 19717656

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