Yunusova Yana, Green Jordan R, Lindstrom Mary J, Pattee Gary L, Zinman Lorne
Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Toronto, Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, Canada.
Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders, University of Nebraska Munroe-Meyer Institute, Nebraska Medical Center.
J Med Speech Lang Pathol. 2013 Mar;21(1):1-13.
The goal of this exploratory study was to investigate longitudinally the changes in facial kinematics, vowel formant frequencies, and speech intelligibility in individuals diagnosed with bulbar amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This study was motivated by the need to understand articulatory and acoustic changes with disease progression and their subsequent effect on deterioration of speech in ALS.
Lip and jaw movements and vowel acoustics were obtained for four individuals with bulbar ALS during four consecutive recording sessions with an average interval of three months between recordings. Participants read target words embedded into sentences at a comfortable speaking rate. Maximum vertical and horizontal mouth opening and maximum jaw displacements were obtained during corner vowels. First and second formant frequencies were measured for each vowel. Speech intelligibility and speaking rate score were obtained for each session as well.
Transient, non-vowel-specific changes in kinematics of the jaw and lips were observed. Kinematic changes often preceded changes in vowel acoustics and speech intelligibility.
Nonlinear changes in speech kinematics should be considered in evaluation of the disease effects on jaw and lip musculature. Kinematic measures might be most suitable for early detection of changes associated with bulbar ALS.
本探索性研究的目的是纵向调查被诊断为延髓性肌萎缩侧索硬化症（ALS）的个体的面部运动学、元音共振峰频率和言语可懂度的变化。开展这项研究的动机是需要了解随着疾病进展的发音和声学变化及其对ALS患者言语退化的后续影响。
对四名延髓性ALS患者在连续四次录音过程中进行唇部和下颌运动以及元音声学数据采集，每次录音间隔平均为三个月。参与者以舒适的语速朗读嵌入句子中的目标单词。在发角元音时获取最大垂直和水平开口度以及最大下颌位移。测量每个元音的第一和第二共振峰频率。每次录音还获取言语可懂度和语速得分。
观察到下颌和嘴唇运动学方面存在短暂的、非特定于元音的变化。运动学变化通常先于元音声学和言语可懂度的变化。
在评估疾病对下颌和唇部肌肉组织的影响时，应考虑言语运动学的非线性变化。运动学测量可能最适合早期检测与延髓性ALS相关的变化。
