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The Effects of Speech Compression Algorithms on the Intelligibility of Two Individuals With Dysarthric Speech.

ABSTRACT: Purpose Telemedicine, used to offset disparities in access to speech-language therapy, relies on technology that utilizes compression algorithms to transmit signals efficiently. These algorithms have been thoroughly evaluated on healthy speech; however, the effects of compression algorithms on the intelligibility of disordered speech have not been adequately explored. Method This case study assessed acoustic and perceptual effects of resampling and speech compression (i.e., transcoding) on the speech of 2 individuals with dysarthria. Forced-choice vowel identification and transcription tasks were utilized, completed by 20 naive undergraduate listeners. Results Results showed relative improvements and decrements in intelligibility, on various measures, based on the speakers' acoustic profiles. The transcoding of the speech compression algorithm resulted in an enlarged vowel space area and associated improvements in vowel identification for 1 speaker and a smaller vowel space area and decreased vowel identification for the other speaker. Interestingly, there was an overall decrease in intelligibility in the transcription task in this condition for both speakers. Conclusions There is a complex interplay between dysarthria and compression algorithms that warrants further exploration. The findings suggest that it is critical to be mindful of apparent changes in intelligibility secondary to compression algorithms necessary for practicing telemedicine. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.7291940.

SUBMITTER: Utianski RL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6503861 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The Effects of Speech Compression Algorithms on the Intelligibility of Two Individuals With Dysarthric Speech.

Utianski Rene L RL Sandoval Steven S Berisha Visar V Lansford Kaitlin L KL Liss Julie M JM

American journal of speech-language pathology 20190201 1

Purpose Telemedicine, used to offset disparities in access to speech-language therapy, relies on technology that utilizes compression algorithms to transmit signals efficiently. These algorithms have been thoroughly evaluated on healthy speech; however, the effects of compression algorithms on the intelligibility of disordered speech have not been adequately explored. Method This case study assessed acoustic and perceptual effects of resampling and speech compression (i.e., transcoding) on the s ...[more]

PMID: 30515518

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Project description:The goal of this research was to assess the support for motor speech disorders as explanatory constructs to guide research and treatment of reduced intelligibility in persons with Down syndrome (DS). Participants were the 45 adolescents with DS in the prior paper who were classified into five mutually-exclusive motor speech classifications using the Speech Disorders Classification System. An ordinal index classified participants' percentage of intelligible words in conversation as High (≥ 85%), Moderate (80% - 84.9%), or Low (< 80%). Statistical analyses tested for significant differences in intelligibility status associated with demographic, intelligence, and language variables, and intelligibility status associated with motor speech classifications and speech, prosody, and voice variables. For the 10 participants who met criteria for concurrent Childhood Dysarthria and Childhood Apraxia of Speech at assessment, 80% had reduced (Moderate or Low) intelligibility and 20% had High intelligibility (significant effect size: 0.644). Proportionally more of the 32 participants who met criteria for either dysarthria or apraxia had reduced intelligibility (significant effect size: 0.318). Low intelligibility was significantly associated with across-the-board reductions in phonemic and phonetic accuracy and with inappropriate prosody and voice. Findings are interpreted as support for motor speech disorders in adolescents with DS as explanatory constructs for their reduced intelligibility. Pending cross-validation of findings in diverse samples of persons with DS, studies are needed to assess the efficacy of motor speech classification status to guide selection of treatment methods and intelligibility targets. Abbreviations: CAS: Childhood Apraxia of Speech; CD: Childhood Dysarthria; DS: Down syndrome; II: Intelligibility Index; No MSD: No Motor Speech Disorder; OII: Ordinal Intelligibility Index; PSD: Persistent Speech Delay; SDCS: Speech Disorders Classification System; SMD: Speech Motor Delay.

Project description:BackgroundMore than 6,000,000 individuals worldwide are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (PD). Nearly 90% develop speech signs that may substantially impair their speech intelligibility, resulting in losses in their communication and quality of life. Benefits of intensive speech treatment have been documented for a range of speech signs. However, the critical question of whether speech is more intelligible after treatment has not been investigated in a randomised controlled trial (RCT). We hypothesised that intensive speech treatment would improve speech intelligibility in PD.MethodSixty-four patients with hypokinetic dysarthria secondary to PD participated in this single-centre, parallel arm, statistically-powered RCT. Reporting follows CONSORT guidelines for non-pharmacological treatment. Patients were recruited from US clinics and randomised using a statistician-derived minimisation algorithm, to intensive speech treatment (16 1-hour sessions/1 month) targeting voice (voice group) or targeting articulation (articulation group) or to an untreated group (no treatment group). Speech treatments were delivered by speech clinicians who specialised in treating patients with PD. Trial design minimised bias and supported equipoise. For intelligibility assessment, blinded listeners (n = 117) orthographically transcribed 57 patients' recorded, self-generated narrative speech samples, randomly presented in multi-talker babble noise. Listeners were American-English speakers, ages 18-35 years, with normal hearing. The primary outcome was baseline (pre-treatment) to post-treatment change in transcription accuracy (TA), recognised as the most objective measure of intelligibility. TA was defined as the percentage of words transcribed correctly. Listeners, data collectors, and data managers were blinded to treatment conditions and groups. Reliability was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients and differences amongst groups were evaluated by mixed-effects models, in accordance with the intention-to-treat approach.This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00123084.FindingsBetween June 23, 2016 and August 14, 2017, blinded listeners transcribed baseline and post-treatment speech samples for intelligibility assessment of 57 patients in the voice (n = 19), articulation (n = 19) and no treatment (n = 19) groups. Between-group differences (d) in changes from baseline to post-treatment in TA indicated significantly greater increases following treatment targeting voice than treatment targeting articulation (d = 26·2%, 95% CI 1·5 - 51·0; p = 0·04; ES=1·0). Differences between TA changes in the treatment targeting voice and in the no treatment group were significant (d = 42·8%, 95% CI 22·4 - 63·2; p = 0·0002; ES=1·8). Differences between TA changes in the treatment targeting articulation and in the no treatment group were not significant (d = 16·5%, 95% CI -6·1 - 39·2; p = 0·147; ES=0·9).InterpretationThese findings provide the first RCT evidence that intensive speech treatment targeting voice improves speech intelligibility in PD. Thus, this evidence-based treatment may positively impact health-related quality of life for patients with PD globally when it is included in patient management.Funding

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The Effects of Speech Compression Algorithms on the Intelligibility of Two Individuals With Dysarthric Speech.

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The Effects of Speech Compression Algorithms on the Intelligibility of Two Individuals With Dysarthric Speech.

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