Predicting Intelligibility Gains in Individuals With Dysarthria From Baseline Speech Features

Abstract

Assessments of baseline speech features can be used to predict appropriate treatment strategies for speakers with dysarthria. Further development of these assessments could provide the basis for more individualized treatment programs.

Examining Variation in Treatment Outcomes among Speakers with Dysarthria

“…Our recent work has demonstrated that the presence of certain speech characteristics at a baseline assessment can predict degree of intelligibility gain when a person with dysarthria is cued to speak louder or reduce their speech rate. 38 However, it is unclear whether these speech features can further distinguish variation in intelligibility gains among speakers with the same dysarthria subtype and etiology. Indeed, this question is particularly pertinent in the case of hypokinetic dysarthria, as this subtype is frequently targeted in speech therapy focused on behavioral speech modification.…”

“…To examine this further, we present a new data analysis of the 23 participants with hypokinetic dysarthria (see Fletcher and colleagues for a full description of the participants 38 ). The aim is to demonstrate whether specific speech features can predict the types of speakers who will be most amenable to various cues to modify their speech-in this case, cues to speak louder and slow speech rate.…”

“…Detailed information about the speech recording and analysis procedures are described elsewhere. 38 In parallel, estimates of intelligibility gain from baseline to loud and baseline to slow speaking conditions were obtained to provide a dependent variable for the multivariate analysis. 38 Intelligibility gain was rated by 18 listeners, who compared matching speech samples along a visual analogue scale.…”

“…38 In parallel, estimates of intelligibility gain from baseline to loud and baseline to slow speaking conditions were obtained to provide a dependent variable for the multivariate analysis. 38 Intelligibility gain was rated by 18 listeners, who compared matching speech samples along a visual analogue scale. The difference in ratings across the conditions provided an indication of the intelligibility gain, or loss, that the speaker made following cues to speak louder and cues to reduce speech rate.…”

“…The difference in ratings across the conditions provided an indication of the intelligibility gain, or loss, that the speaker made following cues to speak louder and cues to reduce speech rate. 38 Next, a multivariate statistical analysis was employed to determine which speech features, or combinations of speech features, best predicted intelligibility gain in the loud and slow conditions. In this example, two separate backward stepwise regression models were fit on the 23 speakers diagnosed with PD and hypokinetic dysarthria.…”