Dysarthric Bengali speech: a neurolinguistic study

Area of Science:

• Neurolinguistics
• Speech Pathology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Dysarthria impacts speech domains (respiration, phonation, articulation, resonance, prosody) due to neurological lesions.
• Bengali dysarthric speech lacks comprehensive neurolinguistic analysis.
• This study addresses this gap by analyzing speech defects in native Bengali speakers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To perform a neurolinguistic analysis of dysarthric Bengali speech.
• To identify specific speech defects in various types of dysarthria.
• To aid in the diagnosis and management of dysarthria in Bengali speakers.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional observational study of 66 dysarthric patients.
• Perceptual analysis of recorded speech using Bengali words and text.
• Assessment of 24 parameters across five linguistic domains.
• Statistical analysis using Kruskal-Wallis, Chi-square, and Fisher's exact tests.

Main Results:

• Identified speech defects in spastic, flaccid, mixed, hypokinetic, hyperkinetic, and ataxic dysarthria.
• 15 out of 24 parameters occurred in at least 25% of subjects.
• Imprecise consonants were the most frequent defect across most dysarthria types.
• Specific defect patterns were identified for each dysarthria type.

Conclusions:

• Defined linguistic defects in Bengali dysarthric speech related to neurological disorders.
• A limited set of parameters can describe and differentiate dysarthria types.
• Findings are valuable for speech therapists and neurologists in rehabilitation and management.