Analysis of Diadochokinesis in Ataxic Dysarthria Using the Motor Speech Profile Program™

Abstract

Aims: The Diadochokinetic Rate Analysis (DRA) in the KayPENTAX Motor Speech Profile is a computer program for the analysis of diadochokinesis (DDK). The objective of this study is to evaluate the suitability, reliability, and concurrent validity of the results from the DRA protocol and hand measurement for individuals with ataxic dysarthria, which is characteristically associated with dysdiadochokinesis. Methods: Twenty-one participants with ataxic dysarthria were recorded as they repeated various syllables as quickly and steadily as possible. The DDK samples were executed by the DRA protocol at different thresholds and were also hand-measured. Analyses were based on the percentage of nonexecutable DDK samples, defined as samples in which the lowest peak intensity during CV syllables is lower than the highest peak intensity during intersyllable pauses, and the comparisons of the results between repeated analyses at different thresholds and between automatic and manual measuring methods. Results: (1) More than one third of the DDK samples were nonexecutable; (2) the reliability at different thresholds and concurrent validity between different measuring methods were both satisfactory, and (3) temporal variation parameters were more inconsistent between different measuring methods than intensity variation parameters. Conclusion: DRA has notable limitations in its clinical application but there is a considerable potential for improving its performance.

Implicações da diadococinesia oral no transtorno fonológico

“…Both the application and analysis of the oral DDK testing depend on: the age of the participants, the data collection (the command given to the subject), the duration of the sequences, the type of sequence analyzed and the acoustic treatment of the recorded data. These questions are addressed by many published studies (5,9,10,12,14,15,21,22) what turns difficult the comparison between them.…”

“…One of the major difficulties in comparing the results of different studies presenting results based on the number of repetitions in a certain period of time during DDK analysis is related to the variability described in data collection (14) .…”

“…Literature describes some studies using hand measurement for counting the number of sequences produced by an individual during a predetermined period of time (9,14) , to count the time that the individual takes to perform a number of repetitions (15) and some to do both measures (7) . Hand-measure is easy to be used by speech pathologists but the professional must be careful with both the data collection and the analysis of the sequences.…”

“…The Motor Speech Profile (MSP) model 5141 manufactured by KayPentax® which is an optional software to be coupled to the Computerized Speech Lab (CSL) gives the user the possibility of obtaining information such as average DDK period, rate and peak intensity, coefficient variation of DDK period and peak intensity and other different measures (14) .…”

Efeitos da terapia manual laríngea e da estimulação elétrica nervosa transcutânea (TENS) na diadococinesia laríngea em mulheres disfônicas: estudo clínico randomizado

“…It is defined as the ability to perform fast repetitions of relatively simple patterns composed of oppositional contractions (9) , which may suggest information about individuals' neuromotor integration and maturation (9) . This acoustic evaluation has been used in several cases and populations, such as in children with speech sound disorders (10) , cochlear implants (11) , and fluency disorder (12) , in neurological patients (13)(14)(15)(16) , healthy elderly individuals (17) , youngsters and children (18,19) , as well as in patients with behavioral dysphonia (20,21) . Considering the DDK evaluations in clinical speech-language practice, laryngeal DDK aims to investigate neuromotor control of vocal folds (22) , being used mainly for the assessment of voice disorders (13,15,17,18,20,22) .…”