Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2026
A Protocol for Comprehensive Assessment of Bulbar Dysfunction in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Published on: February 21, 2011
Breath-group intelligibility in dysarthria: characteristics and underlying correlates
Yana Yunusova1, Gary Weismer, Ray D Kent
1Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. yunusova@unlserve.unl.edu
Purpose:
This study was designed to determine whether within-speaker fluctuations in speech intelligibility occurred among speakers with dysarthria who produced a reading passage, and, if they did, whether selected linguistic and acoustic variables predicted the variations in speech intelligibility.
Method:
Participants with dysarthria included a total of 10 persons with Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; a control group of 10 neurologically normal speakers was also studied. Each participant read a passage that was subsequently separated into consecutive breath groups for estimates of individual breath group intelligibility. Sixty listeners participated in 2 perceptual experiments, generating intelligibility scores across speakers and for each breath group produced by speakers with dysarthria.
Results:
Individual participants with dysarthria had fluctuations in intelligibility across breath groups. Breath groups of participants with dysarthria had fewer average words and reduced interquartile ranges for the 2nd formant, the latter a global measure of articulatory mobility. Regression analyses with intelligibility measures as the criterion variable and linguistic and acoustic measures as predictor variables produced significant functions both within and across speakers, but the solutions were not the same.
Conclusions:
Linguistic or acoustic variables that predict across-speaker variations in speech intelligibility may not function in the same way when within-speaker variations in intelligibility are considered.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Physical Assessment of the Respiratory Tract IV: Auscultation
Breath Sounds
Breath sounds are categorized into vesicular, bronchovesicular, and bronchial.
01:30Assessment of Airway, Skin Color, and Use of Accessory Muscles
Introduction
The initial evaluation of a patient's respiratory system...
01:31Respiratory System Abnormal Finding II: Palpation and Auscultation
Palpation Findings
During a respiratory assessment, palpation can reveal several vital abnormalities:
01:23Assessment of Respiration
Subjective Assessment: Nurses interview the patient to gather information directly during the subjective assessment. It includes questions about the individual's medical history, medications, and symptoms, focusing on past respiratory conditions like asthma or COPD,...
01:29Assessment of Ventilation II: Respiratory Depth and Rhythm
Respiratory depth measures the volume of air inhaled or exhaled during a breath. It can vary from shallow to deep and typically remains consistent when a person is at rest or asleep. Occasionally, individuals will automatically inhale deeply, known as sighing, which inflates the lungs with more air than normal breathing.
To assess respiratory depth, observe the degree of chest excursion or movement:
01:30Alterations in Respiration II
In Biot's breathing, the respiratory rate and depth are irregular, alternating between periods of deep gasping and apnea. Common causes include...