Characteristics of speech and voice as predictors of the quality of communication in adults with hypokinetic dysarthria

Abstract

Hypokinetic dysarthria is characterized by a speech that gradually becomes monotonous, poorly modulated, quiet and ultimately unintelligible. The goal of this research is to determine the acoustic characteristics of voice and speech in adults with hypokinetic dysarthria and the impact of the altered voice on the quality of communication. The sample consisted of 30 elderly respondents of both genders with Parkinson’s disease and hypokinetic dysarthria. In order to conduct a spectral analysis, the voice of patients was recorded while they were reading phonetically balanced text. The respondents conducted a self-assessment of the degree of their own handicap caused by voice disorder and impact of the voice handicap by completing the Voice Handicap Index (VHI). Statistically significant differences were determined in the position of some formants in respondents compared to the values of formants in typical speakers for the following vowels: F1 of the vowel /I/ and F2 of the vowels /E/, /I/, /O/ and /U/. By examining the relation between the score achieved on the VHI instrument and the value of formants, the only statistically significant correlation was achieved between the formant F1 of the vowel /A/ and functional and emotional subscale. By regression analysis used to determine the predictor of the quality of communication, it was confirmed that F1 of the vowel /A/ has a statistically significant contribution to the explanation of the score achieved on functional and emotional subscale, by explaining 15% of the functional sub-scale (Beta=-0,393 (11,30 – 47,37)) and 10% of the emotional subscale (Beta=-0,363 (-0,052 – 0,000)). © 2021, University of Kragujevac, Faculty of Science. All rights reserved.

Hipokinetičku dizartriju karakteriše govor koji vremenom postaje monoton, slabo moduliran, tih i na kraju nerazumljiv. Cilj ovog istraživanja je utvrđivanje akustičkih karakteristika glasa i govora kod odraslih osoba sa hipokinetičkom dizartrijom i uticaja izmenjenog glasa na kvalitet komunikacije. Uzorak je činilo 30 odraslih ispitanika oba pola koji imaju Parkinsonovu bolest i hipokinetičku dizartriju. Kako bi se izvršila spektralna analiza glasa sniman je govor pacijenta tokom čitanja fonemski izbalansiranog teksta. Samoprocenu stepena sopstvenog hendikepa izazvanog poremećajem glasa i uticaja glasovnog oštećenja na kvalitet komunikacije ispitanici su vršili popunjava-njem Indeksa glasovnog oštećenja (VHI). Utvrđene su statistički značajne razlike u položaju pojedinih formanata kod ispitanika u odnosu na vrednosti formanata tipičnih govornika i to za sledeće glasove: F1 vokala /I/ i F2 vokala /E/, /I/, /O/ i /U/. Ispitivanjem veze između skora na VHI instrumentu i vrednosti formanata (F1 i F2) jedina statistički značajna pove-zanost ostvarena je između formanta F1 glasa A i funkcionalne i emocionalne supskale. Regresionom analizom korišćenom za utvrđivanje prediktora kvaliteta komunikacije potvrđeno je da F1 glasa A statistički značajno doprinosi objašnjenju skora dobijenom na funkcionalnoj i emocionalnoj supskali, objašnjavajući 15% funkcionalne supskale (Beta=- 0,393 (11,30 – 47,3