Examination of Clear Speech in Parkinson Disease Using Measures of Working Vowel Space

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (7) ◽  
pp. 2082-2098 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason A. Whitfield ◽  
Daryush D. Mehta
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson Disease ◽  
Density Distribution ◽  
Clear Speech ◽  
Formant Frequency ◽  
Vowel Space ◽  
Central Regions ◽  
Healthy Control ◽  
Populated Region ◽  
Speech Response ◽  
Related Increase

Purpose The purpose of the current study was to characterize clear speech production for speakers with and without Parkinson disease (PD) using several measures of working vowel space computed from frequently sampled formant trajectories. Method The 1st 2 formant frequencies were tracked for a reading passage that was produced using habitual and clear speaking styles by 15 speakers with PD and 15 healthy control speakers. Vowel space metrics were calculated from the distribution of frequently sampled formant frequency tracks, including vowel space hull area, articulatory–acoustic vowel space, and multiple vowel space density (VSD) measures based on different percentile contours of the formant density distribution. Results Both speaker groups exhibited significant increases in the articulatory–acoustic vowel space and VSD 10 , the area of the outermost (10th percentile) contour of the formant density distribution, from habitual to clear styles. These clarity-related vowel space increases were significantly smaller for speakers with PD than controls. Both groups also exhibited a significant increase in vowel space hull area; however, this metric was not sensitive to differences in the clear speech response between groups. Relative to healthy controls, speakers with PD exhibited a significantly smaller VSD 90 , the area of the most central (90th percentile), densely populated region of the formant space. Conclusions Using vowel space metrics calculated from formant traces of the reading passage, the current work suggests that speakers with PD do indeed reach the more peripheral regions of the vowel space during connected speech but spend a larger percentage of the time in more central regions of formant space than healthy speakers. Additionally, working vowel space metrics based on the distribution of formant data suggested that speakers with PD exhibited less of a clarity-related increase in formant space than controls, a trend that was not observed for perimeter-based measures of vowel space area.

Exploration of Metrics for Quantifying Formant Space: Implications for Clinical Assessment of Parkinson Disease

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 402-410
Author(s):  
Jason A. Whitfield
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson Disease ◽  
Clinical Assessment ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Formant Frequency ◽  
Formant Frequencies ◽  
Hypokinetic Dysarthria ◽  
Recent Advances ◽  
Vowel Space ◽  
Potential Factor

Purpose Speakers with Parkinson disease (PD) often exhibit hypokinetic dysarthria, which affects speech articulation. Vowel space metrics based on formant frequencies have been used to examine vowel articulation in speakers with PD. Although data from a number of studies suggest that speakers with PD exhibit smaller acoustic vowel space areas than control speakers, a handful of studies did not observe differences in vowel space area between speakers with and without PD. One potential factor explaining the inconsistent performance of traditional vowel space metrics is that these point-based metrics undersample the formant space to adequately capture between-groups and within-group differences in articulation. This article discusses recent advances in vowel space assessment that augment traditional vowel space metrics by examining the distribution of the entire formant frequency trace. Conclusion A general approach to obtaining these metrics is discussed along with clinical implications for vowel space assessment in speakers with PD.

Effect of Clear Speech on the Duration of Silent Intervals at Syntactic and Phonemic Boundaries in the Speech of Individuals With Parkinson Disease

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2S) ◽  
pp. 793-806 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna C. Gravelin ◽  
Jason A. Whitfield
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson Disease ◽  
Silent Interval ◽  
Interval Duration ◽  
Clear Speech ◽  
Speech Prosody ◽  
Voiceless Stop ◽  
Syntactic Boundaries ◽  
Speaking Style ◽  
Syntactic Context ◽  
Related Increase

Purpose The purpose of the current investigation was to determine the extent to which individuals with and without Parkinson disease (PD) modified silent interval durations when using a clear speaking style. Method Ten individuals with idiopathic PD and 10 older adult control speakers produced a reading passage using both habitual and clear speaking styles. Silent intervals lasting 15 ms and longer were identified and extracted. Each silent interval was categorized according to the surrounding syntactic context of the reading passage. In addition, voiceless stop gaps that occurred within words, phrases, or clauses were categorized by the preceding phonemic context. Results Statistical analyses revealed that all participants increased silent interval duration with a clear speaking style at inter-sentence and intra-sentence syntactic boundaries. Compared to controls, individuals with PD exhibited significantly less increase in silent interval durations at these syntactic boundaries. Control speakers also increased silent stop gap durations in the clear speaking style regardless of preceding phonemic context. Individuals with PD, however, only increased stop gap duration when the silent interval was preceded by a sonorant. Conclusion These findings suggest that speakers with PD exhibit less clarity-related increase in silent interval duration than control speakers. In addition, speakers with PD exhibited significant increases in silent interval duration that coincided with syntactic boundaries of the reading passage but little to no clarity-related modulation of stop gap intervals. Therefore, these data suggest that speakers with PD exhibited changes in silent interval durations that were more so associated with modulation of speech prosody than articulation when using a clearer speaking style.

Effects of Long-Term Tracheostomy on Spectral Characteristics of Vowel Production

1991 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 1057-1065 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Saletsky Kamen ◽  
Ben C. Watson
Keyword(s):  
Vocal Tract ◽  
Spectral Characteristics ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Vowel Production ◽  
Formant Frequency ◽  
Motor Patterns ◽  
Spectral Parameters ◽  
Oral Motor ◽  
Vowel Space

This study investigated the effects of long-term tracheostomy on the development of speech. Eight children who underwent tracheotomy during the prelingual period were compared to matched controls on selected spectral parameters of the speech acoustic signal and standard measures of oral-motor, phonologic, and articulatory proficiency. Analysis of formant frequency values revealed significant between-group differences. Children with histories of long-term tracheostomy showed reduced acoustic vowel space, as defined by group formant frequency values. This suggests that these children were limited in their ability to produce extreme vocal tract configurations for vowels /a,i,u/ postdecannulation. Oral motor patterns were less mature, and sound substitutions were not only more variable for this group, but also reflected a persistent overlay of maladaptive compensations developed during cannulation.

scholarly journals Acoustic Characteristics of Pakistani English Vowel Sounds

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 27
Author(s):  
Abdul Abbasi ◽  
Mansoor Channa ◽  
Masood Memon ◽  
Stephen John ◽  
Irtaza Ahmed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Speech Processing ◽  
Visual Inspection ◽  
Vowel Quality ◽  
Formant Frequency ◽  
Acoustic Characteristics ◽  
Vowel Space ◽  
English Vowels ◽  
Esl Learners ◽  
The Voice

The purpose of this investigation was to document acoustic characteristics of Pakistani English (PaKE) vowel sounds. The experiment was designed to examine the properties of ten vowels produced by Pakistani ESL learners. The analysis is based on the voice samples of recorded 50 CVC words. Total 5000 (10  10  50=5000) voiced samples were analyzed. The data consisted of 50 words of ten English vowel sounds [i: ɪ e ɔ: æ ə ɑ: u: ɒ ʊ]. Ten ESL speakers recorded their voice samples on Praat speech processing tool installed on laptop. Three parameters were considered i.e., fundamental frequency (F0), vowel quality (F1-F2) and duration. Formant patterns were judged manually by visual inspection on Praat Speech Processing Tool. Analysis of formant frequency shows numerous differences between male and female of F1 and F2, fundamental frequency and duration of English vowels. The voice samples provide evidence for higher and lower frequency of vowel sounds. Additionally, the data analysis illustrates that there were statistical differences in the values of short and long vowels coupled with vowel space plot showing explicit differences in locating the production of vowels of male & female vowel space acoustic realizations.

The Effects of Changes in Hearing Status in Cochlear Implant Users on the Acoustic Vowel Space and CV Coarticulation

2001 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 552-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harlan Lane ◽  
Melanie Matthies ◽  
Joseph Perkell ◽  
Jennell Vick ◽  
Majid Zandipour
Keyword(s):  
Vowel Duration ◽  
Formant Frequency ◽  
Direct Role ◽  
Hearing Status ◽  
Vowel Formant ◽  
Vowel Space ◽  
English Vowels ◽  
Deaf Adults ◽  
Second Formant

In order to examine the role of hearing status in controlling coarticulation, eight English vowels in /bVt/ and /dVt/ syllables, embedded in a carrier phrase, were elicited from 7 postlingually deafened adults and 2 speakers with normal hearing. The deaf adults served in repeated recording sessions both before and up to a year after they received cochlear implants and their speech processors were turned on. Each of the two hearing control speakers served in two recording sessions, separated by about 3 months. Measures were made of second formant frequency at obstruent release and at 25 ms intervals until the final obstruent. An index of coarticulation, based on the ratio of F2 at vowel onset to F2 at midvowel target, was computed. Changes in the amount of coarticulation after the change in hearing status were small and nonsystematic for the /bVt/ syllables; those for the /dVt/ syllables averaged a 3% increase—within the range of reliability measures for the 2 hearing control speakers. Locus equations (F2 at vowel onset vs. F2 at vowel midpoint) and ratios of F2 onsets in point vowels were also calculated. Like the index of coarticulation, these measures tended to confirm that hearing status had little if any effect on coarticulation in the deaf speakers, consistent with the hypothesis that hearing does not play a direct role in regulating anticipatory coarticulation in adulthood. With the restoration of some hearing, 2 implant users significantly increased the average spacing between vowels in the formant plane, whereas the remaining 5 decreased that measure. All speakers but one also reduced vowel duration significantly. Four of the speakers reduced dispersion of vowel formant values around vowel midpoint means, but the other 3 did not show this effect.

scholarly journals Startle Habituation and Midfrontal Theta Activity in Parkinson Disease

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (12) ◽  
pp. 1923-1932 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuan-Hua Chen ◽  
Katrina L. Okerstrom ◽  
Jonathan R. Kingyon ◽  
Steven W. Anderson ◽  
James F. Cavanagh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Parkinson Disease ◽  
Theta Activity ◽  
Related Activity ◽  
Aversive Stimuli ◽  
Control Signals ◽  
Healthy Control ◽  
Startle Habituation ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Insight Into

The ability to adapt to aversive stimuli is critical for mental health. Here, we investigate the relationship between habituation to startling stimuli and startle-related activity in medial frontal cortex as measured by EEG in both healthy control participants and patients with Parkinson disease (PD). We report three findings. First, patients with PD exhibited normal initial startle responses but reduced startle habituation relative to demographically matched controls. Second, control participants had midfrontal EEG theta activity in response to startling stimuli, and this activity was attenuated in patients with PD. Finally, startle-related midfrontal theta activity was correlated with the rate of startle habituation. These data indicate that impaired startle habituation in PD is a result of attenuated midfrontal cognitive control signals. Our findings could provide insight into the frontal regulation of startle habituation.

scholarly journals Spontaneous Swallowing during All-Night Sleep in Patients with Parkinson Disease in Comparison with Healthy Control Subjects

SLEEP ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 847-854 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irem Fatma Uludag ◽  
Bedile Irem Tiftikcioglu ◽  
Cumhur Ertekin
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson Disease ◽  
Night Sleep ◽  
Control Subjects ◽  
Healthy Control

scholarly journals An Acoustic Study of Vowels Produced by Alaryngeal Speakers in Taiwan

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 481-492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jia-Shiou Liao
Keyword(s):  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Euclidean Distance ◽  
Vocal Tract ◽  
Acoustic Properties ◽  
Formant Frequency ◽  
Acoustic Study ◽  
Artificial Larynx ◽  
Resonance Frequencies ◽  
Vowel Space ◽  
Southern Min

PurposeThis study investigated the acoustic properties of 6 Taiwan Southern Min vowels produced by 10 laryngeal speakers (LA), 10 speakers with a pneumatic artificial larynx (PA), and 8 esophageal speakers (ES).MethodEach of the 6 monophthongs of Taiwan Southern Min (/i, e, a, ɔ, u, ə/) was represented by a Taiwan Southern Min character and appeared randomly on a list 3 times (6 Taiwan Southern Min characters × 3 repetitions = 18 tokens). Each Taiwan Southern Min character in this study has the same syllable structure, /V/, and all were read with tone 1 (high and level). Acoustic measurements of the 1st formant, 2nd formant, and 3rd formant were taken for each vowel. Then, vowel space areas (VSAs) enclosed by /i, a, u/ were calculated for each group of speakers. The Euclidean distance between vowels in the pairs /i, a/, /i, u/, and /a, u/ was also calculated and compared across the groups.ResultsPA and ES have higher 1st or 2nd formant values than LA for each vowel. The distance is significantly shorter between vowels in the corner vowel pairs /i, a/ and /i, u/. PA and ES have a significantly smaller VSA compared with LA.ConclusionsIn accordance with previous studies, alaryngeal speakers have higher formant frequency values than LA because they have a shortened vocal tract as a result of their total laryngectomy. Furthermore, the resonance frequencies are inversely related to the length of the vocal tract (on the basis of the assumption of the source filter theory). PA and ES have a smaller VSA and shorter distances between corner vowels compared with LA, which may be related to speech intelligibility. This hypothesis needs further support from future study.

scholarly journals Vowel Acoustics in Parkinson's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis: Comparison of Clear, Loud, and Slow Speaking Conditions

2013 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 1485-1502 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kris Tjaden ◽  
Jennifer Lam ◽  
Greg Wilding
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Spectral Characteristics ◽  
Vowel Duration ◽  
Clear Speech ◽  
Formant Frequency ◽  
Vocal Intensity ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Clear Condition

Purpose The impact of clear speech, increased vocal intensity, and rate reduction on acoustic characteristics of vowels was compared in speakers with Parkinson's disease (PD), speakers with multiple sclerosis (MS), and healthy controls. Method Speakers read sentences in habitual, clear, loud, and slow conditions. Variations in clarity, intensity, and rate were stimulated using magnitude production. Formant frequency values for peripheral and nonperipheral vowels were obtained at 20%, 50%, and 80% of vowel duration to derive static and dynamic acoustic measures. Intensity and duration measures were obtained. Results Rate was maximally reduced in the slow condition, and vocal intensity was maximized in the loud condition. The clear condition also yielded a reduced articulatory rate and increased intensity, although less than for the slow or loud conditions. Overall, the clear condition had the most consistent impact on vowel spectral characteristics. Spectral and temporal distinctiveness for peripheral–nonperipheral vowel pairs was largely similar across conditions. Conclusions Clear speech maximized peripheral and nonperipheral vowel space areas for speakers with PD and MS while also reducing rate and increasing vocal intensity. These results suggest that a speech style focused on increasing articulatory amplitude yields the most robust changes in vowel segmental articulation.

scholarly journals Generation of 5 hiPSC lines derived from three unrelated idiopathic Parkinson disease patients and two unrelated healthy control individuals

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
pp. 101640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabiano de Araújo Tofoli ◽  
Hsin Fen Chien ◽  
Egberto Reis Barbosa ◽  
Lygia V. Pereira
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson Disease ◽  
Idiopathic Parkinson Disease ◽  
Healthy Control
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