Variable Speech Cueing Effects in Talkers With Parkinson's Disease

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Parkinson's disease (PD) frequently causes dysarthria, impacting speech intelligibility and severity.
• Effective communication strategies are crucial for individuals with PD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of loud, clear, and slow speech cues on intelligibility and severity in PD dysarthria.
• To identify perceptual speech features that predict response to these cues.

Main Methods:

• 84 listeners rated speech samples from 52 individuals with PD.
• Speech samples included habitual, loud, clear, and slow productions.
• Intelligibility and severity were rated using visual analog scales; responders were categorized.

Main Results:

• Loud speech yielded the most positive responses for both intelligibility and severity.
• Clear and slow speech also showed benefits, but to a lesser extent.
• Specific perceptual speech features differentiated responders from non-responders.

Conclusions:

• Loud speech is a promising cueing strategy for PD dysarthria.
• Identifying predictors of response can personalize speech therapy for PD.
• Findings support tailored interventions for communication enhancement in PD.