Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai.
School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The University of Memphis, TN.
Am J Speech Lang Pathol. 2023 Sep 11;32(5):2232-2244. doi: 10.1044/2023_AJSLP-23-00062. Epub 2023 Aug 25.
Previous research has revealed considerable variation in speech rates among English speakers with Parkinson's disease (PD) with slower, faster, or similar rates than controls. The purpose of this study was to characterize speech rates of Mandarin speakers with PD and the corresponding articulation and pause characteristics explaining the speech rates to enhance rate control therapies.
Eighteen Mandarin speakers with PD and 18 controls produced syllable repetitions and passage reading using their typical speech style. Speech rates, articulation rates, mean pause durations (≥ 10 ms), and the number of pauses with duration between 10 ms and 300 ms and greater than 300 ms were measured and compared between groups and tasks as well as across the initial, middle, and final periods of the passage. Two-way, mixed-model analyses of variance were employed for data analysis.
Compared to controls, individuals with PD spoke with similar speech rates and faster articulation rates during passage reading, whereas during syllable repetitions, they produced slower speech rates and comparable articulation rates. The slower syllable repetitions produced by speakers with PD may be explained by longer pauses and more perceptual pauses, whereas faster articulation rates may explain the trend of faster speech rates during reading. Speech and articulation rates accelerated for both groups during passage reading.
Speech rates of Mandarin speakers with PD were characterized by faster articulation, longer pauses, and more perceptual pauses for passage reading. A descriptive model of speech rate suggested that speakers with PD and dysarthria in this study would benefit from rate reduction therapy decreasing articulation rate.
先前的研究表明，帕金森病（PD）患者的英语说话语速存在较大差异，其语速可能慢于、快于或与对照组相同。本研究的目的是描述汉语 PD 患者的语速特征以及解释语速的发音和停顿特征，以增强语速控制疗法。
18 名汉语 PD 患者和 18 名对照者使用其典型的说话方式进行音节重复和短文朗读。测量并比较了两组和两种任务（音节重复和短文朗读）以及短文朗读初始、中间和结尾部分的语速、发音率、平均停顿时间（≥10ms）、时长为 10ms 至 300ms 以及大于 300ms 的停顿次数以及停顿率。采用双向、混合模型方差分析进行数据分析。
与对照组相比，患者在朗读短文时语速相似，发音率较快，而在重复音节时语速较慢，发音率相似。PD 患者语速较慢可能是由于停顿时间较长和感知停顿较多，而发音率较快可能解释了阅读时语速较快的趋势。在朗读短文时，两组的语速和发音率均加快。
汉语 PD 患者的语速特征为朗读短文时发音较快、停顿时间较长、感知停顿较多。语速描述模型表明，本研究中存在构音障碍的 PD 患者将受益于降低发音率的语速降低疗法。
