Lingual kinematics during rapid syllable repetition in Parkinson's disease

Rapid syllable repetition tasks are commonly used in the assessment of motor speech disorders. However, little is known about the articulatory kinematics during rapid syllable repetition in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD).

To investigate and compare lingual kinematics during rapid syllable repetition in dysarthric speakers with PD (DPD), non-dysarthric speakers with PD (NDPD) and a group of healthy controls.

Electromagnetic articulography was used to record tongue-tip and tongue-back movement in five DPD and five NDPD participants during rapid repetition of /ta/and /ka/syllables, and matched with six healthy controls.

Results revealed significant between-group differences for most of the kinematic parameters measured but comparable rapid syllable repetition rates. Post-hoc analyses indicated that the DPD participants, when compared with the NDPD participants, had similar range but prolonged duration of lingual movement. The DPD and NDPD participants had primarily increased range and prolonged duration of lingual movement accompanied by increased speed parameters, when compared with healthy controls.

The findings of the present study contradict theories that suggest that the clinical features of hypokinetic dysarthria, including articulatory imprecision, are the outcome of restrictions in the range of movement of the muscles of the articulators. The observed prolonged duration of lingual movement in PD may plausibly be due to the observed increased range of lingual movement rather than slowness of lingual movement.