Improved imaging of lingual articulation using real-time multislice MRI

Area of Science:

• Medical imaging
• Speech science
• Linguistics

Background:

• Accurate visualization of vocal tract dynamics is crucial for understanding speech production.
• Existing imaging techniques often lack the spatial and temporal resolution for complex articulatory features.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique.
• Enable simultaneous visualization of vocal tract shaping across multiple scan planes.
• Provide dynamic insights into complex articulatory features during speech.

Main Methods:

• Implemented a custom real-time MRI platform for simultaneous multi-slice imaging.
• Acquired midsagittal, coronal, and axial views of the upper airway using fast spiral gradient-echo sequences.
• Synchronized real-time vocal tract videos with audio recordings of English fricative production.

Main Results:

• Coronal views showed pronounced tongue grooving for sibilants in back vowel contexts.
• Axial views revealed differences in dorsal and pharyngeal articulation, with larger pharyngeal areas for voiced fricatives.
• Partial saturation of spins accurately located imaging planes relative to each other.

Conclusions:

• Real-time MRI with multiple intersecting slices offers valuable spatio-temporal information on vocal tract shaping.
• This technique captures articulatory details previously unobservable with single-slice methods.
• Enhances understanding of the complex interplay between vocal tract configuration and speech sound production.