Utilization of visual information and listener strategies in intelligibility impairment related to bilateral facial paresis.

This study investigated how intelligibility scores of a speaker with bilateral facial paresis differed in auditory-only and auditory-visual presentation modes. A speech sample was collected and movies were created in both auditory-only and auditory-visual modes. These movies were presented to listeners who were unfamiliar with the speaker (n=20) with 10 of the listeners randomly assigned to the auditory-only listening mode and 10 assigned to the auditory-visual mode. Listeners transcribed what they heard and also completed a scale to determine the strategies used to understand this speaker's utterances. Results of ANOVA revealed that intelligibility in the auditory-visual condition was significantly greater than intelligibility for the auditory-only condition. Listeners reported utilizing many strategies to transcribe the speaker's utterances and listeners in the auditory-visual mode utilized cognitive strategies significantly more than listeners in the auditory-only mode. Findings of this study highlight the importance of visual information provided to listeners, as well as the types of strategies that listeners may use or be taught to use in understanding speakers with dysarthria.