Smartphone-Based Speech Therapy for Poststroke Dysarthria: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating Efficacy and Feasibility.

BACKGROUND: Dysarthria is a common poststroke speech disorder affecting communication and psychological well-being. Traditional speech therapy is effective but often poses challenges in terms of accessibility and patient adherence. Emerging smartphone-based therapies may offer promising alternatives for the treatment of poststroke dysarthria. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the efficacy and feasibility of smartphone-based speech therapy for improving speech intelligibility in patients with acute and early subacute poststroke dysarthria. This study also explored the impact of the intervention on psychological well-being, user experience, and overall feasibility in a clinical setting. METHODS: Participants were divided into 2 groups for this randomized, evaluator-blinded trial. The intervention group used a smartphone-based speech therapy app for 1 hour per day, 5 days per week, for 4 weeks, with guideline-based standard stroke care. The control group received standard guideline-based stroke care and rehabilitation. Speech intelligibility, psychological well-being, quality of life, and user acceptance were assessed using repeated measures ANOVA. RESULTS: In this study, 40 patients with poststroke dysarthria were enrolled, 32 of whom completed the trial (16 in each group). The intervention group showed significant improvements in speech intelligibility compared with the control group. This was evidenced by improvements from baseline (F1,30=34.35; P<.001), between-group differences (F1,30=6.18; P=.02), and notable time-by-group interactions (F1,30=6.91; P=.01). Regarding secondary outcomes, the intervention led to improvements in the percentage of correct consonants over time (F1,30=5.57; P=.03). In addition, significant reductions were noted in the severity of dysarthria in the intervention group over time (F1,30=21.18; P<.001), with a pronounced group effect (F1,30=5.52; P=.03) and time-by-group interaction (F1,30=5.29; P=.03). Regarding quality of life, significant improvements were observed as measured by the EQ-5D-3L questionnaire (F1,30=13.25; P<.001) and EQ-VAS (F1,30=7.74; P=.009) over time. The adherence rate to the smartphone-based app was 64%, with over half of the participants completing all the sessions. The usability of the app was rated high (system usability score 80.78). In addition, the intervention group reported increased self-efficacy in using the app compared with the control group (F1,30=10.81; P=.003). CONCLUSIONS: The smartphone-based speech therapy app significantly improved speech intelligibility, articulation, and quality of life in patients with poststroke dysarthria. These findings indicate that smartphone-based speech therapy can be a useful assistant device in the management of poststroke dysarthria, particularly in the acute and early subacute stroke stages. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05146765; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05146765.

Behavioral Management of Respiratory/Phonatory Dysfunction for Dysarthria Associated With Neurodegenerative Disease: A Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: This systematic review represents an update to previous reviews of the literature addressing behavioral management of respiratory/phonatory dysfunction in individuals with dysarthria due to neurodegenerative disease. METHOD: Multiple electronic database searches and hand searches of prominent speech-language pathology journals were conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses standards. RESULTS: The search yielded 1,525 articles, from which 88 met inclusion criteria and were reviewed by two blinded co-investigators. A large range of therapeutic approaches have been added to the evidence base since the last review, including expiratory muscle strength training, singing, and computer- and device-driven programs, as well as a variety of treatment modalities, including teletherapy. Evidence for treatment in several different population groups-including cerebellar ataxia, myotonic dystrophy, autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay, Huntington's disease, multiple system atrophy, and Lewy body dementia-were added to the current review. Synthesis of evidence quality provided strong evidence in support of only one behavioral intervention: Lee Silverman Voice Treatment Program (LSVT LOUD) in people with Parkinson's disease. No other treatment approach or population included in this review demonstrated more than limited evidence, reflecting that these approaches/populations require urgent further examination. CONCLUSION: Suggestions about where future research efforts could be significantly strengthened and how clinicians can apply research findings to their practice are provided. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.24964473.

Best practice recommendations for speech-language pathology in children with neuromuscular disorders: A Delphi-based consensus study.

PURPOSE: Speech-language pathology (SLP) is considered an essential intervention due to the high prevalence of dysphagia and dysarthria in paediatric neuromuscular disorders (pNMD). Evidence-based guidelines for SLP in pNMD are missing and children could be deprived the best of care. This study aimed to achieve consensus and present best practice recommendations on SLP intervention in pNMD. METHOD: A modified Delphi technique was used with a panel of experienced Dutch speech-language pathologists. In two online survey rounds and a face-to-face consensus meeting, the SLP experts proposed intervention items for cases of four types of pNMD (congenital myopathy, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, myotonic dystrophy type 1, and spinal muscular atrophy type 2), covering symptoms of dysphagia, dysarthria, drooling, and oral hygiene problems. They rated the level of agreement. RESULT: Intervention items that achieved consensus were incorporated into best practice recommendations. These recommendations cover six core intervention components (wait and see, explanation and advice, training and treatment, aids and adjustments, referral to other disciplines, and monitoring) suitable for the described symptoms. CONCLUSION: Insight into treatment options is essential to facilitate speech-language pathologists in clinical decision-making. The current study led to best practice recommendations for speech-language pathologists working within the field of pNMD.

Speech and language therapists' management practices, perceived effectiveness of current treatments and interest in neuromuscular electrical stimulation for acquired dysarthria rehabilitation: An international perspective.

BACKGROUND: Research is beginning to shed light on the practices employed by speech-language therapists (SLTs) for the management of acquired dysarthria. However, studies that explore SLTs' satisfaction with the effectiveness of current therapies and their interest in new treatment methods for this population have not been carried out. One potential new method is neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES): the pool of evidence for its use in rehabilitation is increasing, yet it has not been widely explored for use with dysarthria. AIM: To extend the understanding of acquired dysarthria management practices employed by SLTs across the globe and determine their satisfaction with current therapy options. To explore their interest in using NMES with this population. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: A cross-sectional international online survey was developed and disseminated to SLTs working with adults with acquired dysarthria through international professional associations. The survey collected information on demographic characteristics, dysarthria management practices, satisfaction with treatment effectiveness and interest in and knowledge of NMES. Survey responses were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, and quantitative content analysis. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: A total of 211 SLTs (North America, 48.8%; Europe, 36%; Asia, 8.1%; Oceania, 5.7%; Africa, 0.9%; South America, 0.5%) completed the survey in full. Management practices varied considerably. There was a clear preference for informal assessments, mainly oral-motor examinations, focusing on body functions and structures. The majority of respondents rejected the use of non-speech oral motor exercises as a clinical or carryover exercise. Variable satisfaction with current speech subsystem treatments was noted; however, overall, there was a general dissatisfaction. Whilst a strong interest in the use of NMES for dysarthria was evidenced, it was noted that most SLTs lacked fundamental knowledge of NMES principles and application. CONCLUSION: SLTs' management practices and satisfaction with acquired dysarthria treatments differed substantially. Investigations of the potential use of NMES for dysarthria treatment are of interest. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on the subject Recent country-specific surveys have explored speech-language therapists' (SLTs') assessment and intervention practices for acquired dysarthria. These studies indicate that although clinical management for this speech disorder mainly involves informal assessment tools and impairment-focused treatment, communication beyond the impairment, such as the activity and participation domains, is also frequently assessed and treated. What this paper adds to existing knowledge The majority of SLTs are dissatisfied with the overall benefits of current acquired dysarthria treatment. Phonatory, respiration and speech rate therapies are perceived to be more effective than prosody, articulation and resonance treatments. Despite a general lack of theoretical knowledge, most SLTs are interested in neuromuscular electrical stimulation treatment for acquired dysarthria. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? New, evidence-based treatments are needed for SLTs to be confident in the effectiveness of their acquired dysarthria treatment.

Improving Perceptual Speech Ratings: The Effects of Auditory Training on Judgments of Dysarthric Speech.

PURPOSE: Auditory training has been shown to reduce rater variability in perceptual voice assessment. Because rater variability is also a central issue in the auditory-perceptual assessment of dysarthria, this study sought to determine if training produces a meaningful change in rater reliability, criterion validity, and scaling magnitude of four features: overall speech impairment, articulatory imprecision, monotony, and slow rate. METHOD: Forty-four nonexperts randomized to training and nontraining listener groups completed a pretest and posttest. Only the former group underwent auditory training between pre- and posttests. For both testing and training, listeners rated samples from speakers with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), speakers with Parkinson's disease (PD), and neurologically healthy control speakers using separate visual analog scales (VASs) for each of the four features. Intraclass correlation coefficients were used to compare inter- and intrarater reliability between pre- and posttest for both listener groups. For criterion validity, severity ratings from the two nonexpert listener groups were compared to those of two experienced listeners for all four features. To determine changes in scaling magnitude, raw VAS scores for each feature were compared from pre- to posttest within the two nonexpert listener groups. Scaling changes were also compared between the two listener groups for the pre- and posttest conditions. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: In the training group, a meaningful improvement in interrater reliability was observed for some features in all three speaker groups, but not in the nontraining group. In contrast, for intrarater reliability, in the nontraining group, a meaningful improvement was observed for many features in all three speaker groups, but only for PD monotony and slow rate in the training group. All ratings from the nonexpert listeners were valid except for monotony. Raw VAS scores did not meaningfully change from pre- to posttest for any of the features, but there was a trend toward lower scores posttraining, mainly for the ALS samples. Modifications to the auditory training paradigm to further improve reliability and validity, along with future goals for optimizing training, are discussed.

Clinical Assessment of Communication-Related Speech Parameters in Dysarthria: The Impact of Perceptual Adaptation.

PURPOSE: In current clinical practice, intelligibility of dysarthric speech is commonly assessed by speech-language therapists (SLTs), in most cases by the therapist caring for the patient being diagnosed. Since SLTs are familiar with dysarthria in general and with the speech of the individual patient to be assessed in particular, they have an adaptation advantage in understanding the patient's utterances. We examined whether and how listeners' assessments of communication-related speech parameters vary as a function of their familiarity with dysarthria in general and with the diagnosed patients in particular. METHOD: Intelligibility, speech naturalness, and perceived listener effort were assessed in 20 persons with dysarthria (PWD). Patients' speech samples were judged by the individual treating therapists, five dysarthria experts who were unfamiliar with the patients, and crowdsourced naïve listeners. Adaptation effects were analyzed using (a) linear mixed models of overall scoring levels, (b) regression models of severity dependence, (c) network analyses of between-listener and between-parameter relationships, and (d) measures of intra- and interobserver consistency. RESULTS: Significant advantages of dysarthria experts over laypeople were found in all parameters. An overall advantage of the treating therapists over nonfamiliar experts was only seen in listening effort. Severity-dependent adaptation effects occurred in all parameters. The therapists' responses were heterogeneous and inconsistent with those of the unfamiliar experts and the naïve listeners. CONCLUSIONS: The way SLTs evaluate communication-relevant speech parameters of the PWD whom they care for is influenced not only by adaptation benefits but also by therapeutic biases. This finding weakens the validity of assessments of communication-relevant speech parameters by the treating therapists themselves and encourages the development and use of alternative methods.

Effects of Conventional Speech Therapy with Liuzijue Qigong, a Traditional Chinese Method of Breath Training, in 70 Patients with Post-Stroke Spastic Dysarthria.

BACKGROUND Post-stroke spastic dysarthria (PSSD) is a motor speech impairment that impacts patient communication and quality of life. Liuzijue Qigong (LQG), a traditional Chinese method of breath training, could serve as an effective treatment for PSSD. This study compared the effects of conventional speech therapy and conventional speech therapy combined with LQG in patients with PSSD. MATERIAL AND METHODS Seventy patients with PSSD were randomly divided into a control group (conventional speech therapy, n=35, 77.14% cerebral infarction, 22.86% cerebral hemorrhage) and experimental group (LQG combined with conventional speech therapy, n=35, 85.71% cerebral infarction, 14.29% cerebral hemorrhage). Conventional speech therapy included relaxation, breath control, organ articulation, and pronunciation training. LQG involved producing 6 different sounds (Xu, He, Hu, Si, Chui, and Xi) accompanied by breathing and body movements. Patients were treated once a day, 5 times a week, for 4 weeks. The Frenchay Dysarthria Assessment scale (FDA), speech articulation, maximum phonation time (MPT), loudness, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale (MoCA) were evaluated. RESULTS At 4 weeks, the experimental group showed significant improvements compared with the control group in the change of FDA (13.26±6.84 vs 18.03±5.32, P=0.028), speech articulation (63.17±22.40 vs 76.51±15.28, P=0.024), MPT (1.34±1.30 vs 3.89±3.98, P<0.001), loudness (3.46±2.74 vs 7.14±2.56, P=0.009), MoCA (19.40±3.72 vs 22.20±5.30, P=0.020), total effective rate (68.57% vs 88.57%, P=0.041). CONCLUSIONS LQG, when combined with conventional speech therapy, enhanced the comprehensive speech ability of patients with PSSD compared with conventional treatment alone.

Distinct phenotypes of stimulation-induced dysarthria represent different cortical networks in STN-DBS.

BACKGROUND: Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus is an effective treatment of Parkinson's disease, yet it is often associated with a general deterioration of speech intelligibility. Clustering the phenotypes of dysarthria has been proposed as a strategy to tackle these stimulation-induced speech problems. METHODS: In this study, we examine a cohort of 24 patients to test the real-life application of the proposed clustering and attempt to attribute the clusters to specific brain networks with two different approaches of connectivity analysis. RESULTS: Both our data-driven and hypothesis-driven approaches revealed strong connections of variants of stimulation-induced dysarthria to brain regions that are known actors of motor speech control. We showed a strong connection between the spastic dysarthria type and the precentral gyrus and supplementary motor area, prompting a possible disruption of corticobulbar fibers. The connection between the strained voice dysarthria and more frontal areas hints toward a deeper disruption of the motor programming of speech production. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide insights into the mechanism of stimulation-induced dysarthria in deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus and may guide reprogramming attempts for individual Parkinson's patients based on pathophysiological understanding of the affected networks.

The Application of Time-Frequency Masking To Improve Intelligibility of Dysarthric Speech in Background Noise.

PURPOSE: Background noise reduces speech intelligibility. Time-frequency (T-F) masking is an established signal processing technique that improves intelligibility of neurotypical speech in background noise. Here, we investigated a novel application of T-F masking, assessing its potential to improve intelligibility of neurologically degraded speech in background noise. METHOD: Listener participants (N = 422) completed an intelligibility task either in the laboratory or online, listening to and transcribing audio recordings of neurotypical (control) and neurologically degraded (dysarthria) speech under three different processing types: speech in quiet (quiet), speech mixed with cafeteria noise (noise), and speech mixed with cafeteria noise and then subsequently processed by an ideal quantized mask (IQM) to remove the noise. RESULTS: We observed significant reductions in intelligibility of dysarthric speech, even at highly favorable signal-to-noise ratios (+11 to +23 dB) that did not impact neurotypical speech. We also observed significant intelligibility improvements from speech in noise to IQM-processed speech for both control and dysarthric speech across a wide range of noise levels. Furthermore, the overall benefit of IQM processing for dysarthric speech was comparable with that of the control speech in background noise, as was the intelligibility data collected in the laboratory versus online. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates proof of concept, validating the application of T-F masks to a neurologically degraded speech signal. Given that intelligibility challenges greatly impact communication, and thus the lives of people with dysarthria and their communication partners, the development of clinical tools to enhance intelligibility in this clinical population is critical.

The Effects of Deep Brain Stimulation on Speech Motor Control in People With Parkinson's Disease.

PURPOSE: Despite the overall benefits of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in Parkinson's disease (PD), its effects on speech production have been mixed when examined using auditory-perceptual and acoustic measures. This study investigated the effects of DBS on the lip and jaw kinematics during sentence production in individuals with dysarthria secondary to PD. METHOD: Twenty-seven participants from three groups were included in the study: (a) individuals with PD and without DBS (PD group), (b) individuals with PD and with DBS (PD-DBS group), and (c) neurologically healthy control speakers (HC group). Lip and jaw movements during speech were recorded using optical motion capture and analyzed for path distance, speed, duration, articulatory stability, and interarticulator coordination. RESULTS: The PD-DBS group showed (a) increased path distance compared with the PD and HC groups and (b) increased speed compared with the PD group but not the HC group. Both PD and PD-DBS groups exhibited lengthened sentence duration compared with the HC group. Articulatory stability was greater for the two PD groups, PD and PD-DBS, compared with the HC group. Spatial, but not temporal, coordination was lower for the PD group than for the other two groups. The only kinematic changes between the DBS on and off conditions within the PD-DBS group were increases in spatial coordination. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that DBS primarily affects the amplitude scaling of articulatory movements, but not the temporal scaling, in individuals with PD. The findings are discussed with respect to the DBS-induced neural changes and their effects on speech motor control in PD.

Lateral cerebellothalamic tract activation underlies DBS therapy for Essential Tremor.

BACKGROUND: While deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy can be effective at suppressing tremor in individuals with medication-refractory Essential Tremor, patient outcome variability remains a significant challenge across centers. Proximity of active electrodes to the cerebellothalamic tract (CTT) is likely important in suppressing tremor, but how tremor control and side effects relate to targeting parcellations within the CTT and other pathways in and around the ventral intermediate (VIM) nucleus of thalamus remain unclear. METHODS: Using ultra-high field (7T) MRI, we developed high-dimensional, subject-specific pathway activation models for 23 directional DBS leads. Modeled pathway activations were compared with post-hoc analysis of clinician-optimized DBS settings, paresthesia thresholds, and dysarthria thresholds. Mixed-effect models were utilized to determine how the six parcellated regions of the CTT and how six other pathways in and around the VIM contributed to tremor suppression and induction of side effects. RESULTS: The lateral portion of the CTT had the highest activation at clinical settings (p < 0.05) and a significant effect on tremor suppression (p < 0.001). Activation of the medial lemniscus and posterior-medial CTT was significantly associated with severity of paresthesias (p < 0.001). Activation of the anterior-medial CTT had a significant association with dysarthria (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a detailed understanding of the fiber pathways responsible for therapy and side effects of DBS for Essential Tremor, and suggests a model-based programming approach will enable more selective activation of lateral fibers within the CTT.

Motor Speech Interventions for Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: Dysarthria is common among children with cerebral palsy (CP) and results in poor speech intelligibility and subsequently low communicative participation. Neuroplasticity evidence suggests that adherence to principles of motor learning (PML) improves motor speech intervention outcomes. Motor speech interventions aim to improve speech intelligibility and ultimately facilitate participation, but the effectiveness of these interventions and their inclusion of PML are not clear. Aims are as follows: (a) evaluate the effectiveness motor speech interventions in improving speech intelligibility; (b) summarize the aims, outcome measures, and outcomes relating to the International Classification of Functioning and Disability Child and Youth; and (c) summarize the principles of motor learning used in the intervention. METHOD: Eight databases were searched, complemented by a hand search. Studies of any level of evidence were included if they used a motor speech intervention and measured speech in children with CP aged 0-18 years. Studies before 2000 or not in English were excluded. The review was conducted and reported according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Study quality was rated using the Single Case Experimental Design Scale and Physiotherapy Evidence Database-P rating scales. The strength of evidence was evaluated with Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation. RESULTS: Of 1,036 initial articles, 21 were included. Eight interventions were identified including 131 participants aged 3-18 years. All studies aimed to improve speech intelligibility or articulation and reported improvement at sound, word, or sentence level. One study reported improvements in communicative participation. The strength of evidence ranged from very low to moderate for one intervention. Adherence to PML was inconsistent. CONCLUSIONS: The quality of evidence is very low to moderate. More research on motor speech interventions that adhere to PML is required. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.21817959.

COS-Speech: protocol to develop a core outcome set for dysarthria after stroke for use in clinical practice and research.

BACKGROUND: Dysarthria after stroke is when speech intelligibility is impaired, and this occurs in half of all stroke survivors. Dysarthria often leads to social isolation, poor psychological well-being and can prevent return to work and social lives. Currently, a variety of outcome measures are used in clinical research and practice when monitoring recovery for people who have dysarthria. When research studies use different measures, it is impossible to compare results from trials and delays our understanding of effective clinical treatments. The aim of this study is to develop a core outcome set (COS) to agree what aspects of speech recovery should be measured for dysarthria after stroke (COS-Speech) in research and clinical practice. METHODS: The COS-Speech study will include five steps: (1) development of a long list of possible outcome domains of speech that should be measured to guide the survey; (2) recruitment to the COS-Speech study of three key stakeholder groups in the UK and Australia: stroke survivors, communication researchers and speech and language therapists/pathologists; (3) two rounds of the Delphi survey process; (4) a consensus meeting to agree the speech outcomes to be measured and a follow-up consensus meeting to match existing instruments/measures (from parallel systematic review) to the agreed COS-Speech; (5) dissemination of COS-Speech. DISCUSSION: There is currently no COS for dysarthria after stroke for research trials or clinical practice. The findings from this research study will be a minimum COS, for use in all dysarthria research studies and clinical practice looking at post-stroke recovery of speech. These findings will be widely disseminated using professional and patient networks, research and clinical forums as well as using a variety of academic papers, videos, accessible writing such as blogs and links on social media. TRIAL REGISTRATION: COS-Speech is registered with the Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials (COMET) database, October 2021 https://www.comet-initiative.org/Studies/Details/1959 . In addition, "A systematic review of the psychometric properties and clinical utility of instruments measuring dysarthria after stroke" will inform the consensus meeting to match measures to COS-Speech. The protocol for the systematic reviews registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022302998 .

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for hypokinetic dysarthria in Parkinson's disease enhances white matter integrity of the auditory-motor loop.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In our previous study, repeated sessions of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the auditory feedback area were shown to improve hypokinetic dysarthria (HD) in Parkinson's disease (PD) and led to changes in functional connectivity within the left-sided articulatory networks. We analyzed data from this previous study and assessed the effects of rTMS for HD in PD on the diffusion parameters of the left anterior arcuate fasciculus (AAF), which connects the auditory feedback area with motor regions involved in articulation. METHODS: Patients were assigned to 10 sessions of real or sham 1-Hz stimulation over the right posterior superior temporal gyrus. Stimulation effects were evaluated using magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging and by a speech therapist using a validated tool (Phonetics score of the Dysarthric Profile) at baseline, immediately after 2 weeks of stimulation, and at follow-up visits at Weeks 6 and 10 after the baseline. RESULTS: Altogether, data from 33 patients were analyzed. A linear mixed model revealed significant time-by-group interaction (p = 0.006) for the relative changes of fractional anisotropy of the AAF; the value increases were associated with the temporal evolution of the Phonetics score (R = 0.367, p = 0.028) in the real stimulation group. CONCLUSIONS: Real rTMS treatment for HD in PD as compared to sham stimulation led to increases of white matter integrity of the auditory-motor loop during the 2-month follow-up period. The changes were related to motor speech improvements.

An Efficacy Study of Voice Quality Using Cepstral Analyses of Phonation in Parkinson's Disease before and after SPEAK-OUT!®.

INTRODUCTION: SPEAK-OUT!® is a behavioral treatment for hypokinetic dysarthria in persons with Parkinson's disease (PD) that has become an alternative to the gold-standard Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) in recent years. Acoustic evaluation of the efficacy of SPEAK-OUT!® therapy has focused on prosody. The purpose of this study was to investigate SPEAK-OUT!® efficacy in terms of vocal quality and its impact on quality of life. Vocal quality was measured acoustically using cepstral peak prominence (CPP) analysis and the Acoustic Voice Quality Index (AVQI) and perceptually using clinical ratings of speech performance. Impact on quality of life was measured with the Voice Handicap Index (VHI) and Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL). An additional goal of this study was to investigate whether dysarthria severity and disease duration were predictive of changes in voice quality due to SPEAK-OUT!®. METHODS: Pre- and post-therapy data included PD participants' acoustic and perceptual ratings of audio recordings. Demographic data included age, sex, diagnosis, duration of PD, and severity of dysarthria. RESULTS: Participants achieved significant improvement in the vowel and sentence CPP smoothed (CPPS) mean score as well as in their AVQI score post SPEAK-OUT!® treatment. Improvements in AVQI correlated negatively with disease duration and positively with dysarthria severity. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: SPEAK-OUT!® is effective in improving voice quality in patients with hypokinetic dysarthria due to idiopathic PD. Patients with more severe dysarthria and with a shorter disease duration may benefit the most, supporting earlier intervention. As for the type of measurement, AVQI combines acoustics from both vowel and sentence contexts and may therefore be the measure of choice over CPPS (vowel) or CPPS (sentence).

Behavioral Therapy for Tremor or Dystonia Affecting Voice in Speakers with Hyperkinetic Dysarthria: A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: Hyperkinetic dysarthria is characterized by atypical involuntary movements within the speech mechanism that may affect the respiratory, laryngeal, pharyngeal-oral, or velopharyngeal-nasal subsystems and may alter speech production. Although articulatory impairments are commonly considered in hyperkinetic dysarthria, speakers with hyperkinetic dysarthria may also present with changes in voice quality, pitch, and loudness. In approximately 70% of speakers with hyperkinetic dysarthria, these voice alterations are associated with tremor or dystonia. The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate the association between behavioral therapy for tremor or dystonia affecting voice in speakers with hyperkinetic dysarthria and improvement in the functional, perceptual, acoustical, aerodynamic, or endoscopic characteristics of voice. METHOD: MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, PsycINFO, and ClinicalTrials.gov online databases were searched in August 2017, December 2018, and April 2020 for relevant studies. The searches provided 4,921 unique records, and six additional unique records were added from other sources. Twelve studies met the criteria for inclusion in the systematic review. Participants who received concurrent medical treatment were included in this review to ensure that the search was inclusive of all relevant studies and informative for typical clinical scenarios. RESULTS: The most commonly administered treatment ingredient was relaxation training, which was investigated in three of the four studies on tremor and three of the eight studies on dystonia. Of these six studies, only one used an experimental design and administered relaxation training as the only behavioral approach. This single-case experiment reported a significant reduction in participant ratings of tremor severity and interference with activities of daily living, although the speaking subscale reportedly did not improve and oral medications were administered concurrently. In two group studies that tested potential behavioral therapy targets, production of a low pitch improved acoustical measures for participants with essential tremor and improved auditory-perceptual judgments for participants with laryngeal dystonia. Behavioral therapy improved functional, acoustical, and aerodynamic outcomes in participants with laryngeal dystonia who were also receiving botulinum toxin injections in a randomized cross-over study and a non-randomized controlled study. Because one study employed easy onset and breathing exercises, while the other employed loud voice exercises, the mechanism of action for improvement in voice associated with behavioral therapy requires further investigation. CONCLUSION: This systematic review describes the current evidence for treatment of tremor and dystonia affecting voice in speakers with hyperkinetic dysarthria and highlights the need for future research on behavioral therapy for these disorders.

Efeitos da estimulação transcraniana por corrente contínua (ETCC) na voz e fala na doença de Parkinson: relato de caso / Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on voice and speech in Parkinson's disease: a case report

RESUMO Este estudo descreve os resultados de duas intervenções diferentes para a disartria na doença de Parkinson (DP). Trata-se de dois pacientes do sexo masculino com DP e disartria hipocinética que foram submetidos à avaliação fonoaudiológica. O primeiro (S1) recebeu dez sessões de 20 minutos de estimulação transcraniana por corrente contínua (ETCC), enquanto o segundo (S2) recebeu dez sessões de 20 minutos de ETCC e terapia fonoaudiológica. Os pacientes foram reavaliados imediatamente após a intervenção e novamente após 30 dias. A melhora no tempo de fonação, movimento velar e outras medidas de disartria foram mais significativas no S1. De acordo com os parâmetros da análise acústica de fonte glótica, a melhora nas medidas de frequência e Jitter, Shimmer e ruído foi maior no S2 tanto na avaliação pós-intervenção imediata quanto na avaliação 30 dias pós-intervenção, seguida por S1 na avaliação pós-intervenção imediata. S1 apresentou melhores resultados na avaliação perceptivo-auditiva de fala e voz, enquanto S2 obteve melhores escores na análise acústica. Esses achados sugerem que a terapia fonoaudiológica convencional associada à ETCC tem um impacto mais significativo na fala e voz do que a ETCC isolada, demonstrando o potencial da ETCC como tratamento complementar para pacientes com DP.

ABSTRACT This study describes the results of two different interventions for dysarthria in Parkinson's disease (PD). It concerns two male patients with PD and hypokinetic dysarthria who underwent speech and voice assessment. The first (S1) received ten 20-minute sessions of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), while the second (S2) received ten 20-minute sessions of tDCS as well as speech therapy. The patients were re-evaluated immediately after the intervention and again after 30 days. Improvements in phonation time, velar movement, and other measures of dysarthria were more significant in S1. According to the acoustic analysis source parameters, improvements in the frequency measurements and Jitter, Shimmer, and noise measurements were greater in S2 in both the immediate post-intervention and 30-day postintervention assessments, followed by S1 in the immediate post-intervention assessment. S1 showed better results in the auditory-perceptual evaluation of speech and voice, whereas S2 obtained better scores in acoustic analysis. These findings suggest that conventional speech therapy combined with tDCS has a more significant impact on speech and voice than tDCS alone, demonstrating the potential of tDCS as an adjuvant treatment for patients with PD.

Long-Term Averaged Spectrum Descriptors of Dysarthria in Patients With Parkinson's Disease Treated With Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate whether long-term averaged spectrum (LTAS) descriptors for reading and monologue are suitable to detect worsening of dysarthria in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) treated with subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) with potential effect of ON and OFF stimulation conditions and types of connected speech. METHOD: Four spectral moments based on LTAS were computed for monologue and reading passage collected from 23 individuals with PD treated with bilateral STN-DBS and 23 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. Speech performance of patients with PD was compared in ON and OFF STN-DBS conditions. RESULTS: All LTAS spectral moments including mean, standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis across both monologue and reading passage were able to significantly distinguish between patients with PD in both stimulation conditions and control speakers. The spectral mean was the only LTAS measure sensitive to capture better speech performance in STN-DBS ON, as compared to the STN-DBS OFF stimulation condition (p < .05). Standardized reading passage was more sensitive compared to monologue in detecting dysarthria severity via LTAS descriptors with an area under the curve of up to 0.92 obtained between PD and control groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings confirmed that LTAS is a suitable approach to objectively describe changes in speech impairment severity due to STN-DBS therapy in patients with PD. We envisage these results as an important step toward a continuum development of technological solutions for the automated assessment of stimulation-induced dysarthria. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.21644798.

Relato da experiência da atuação fonoaudiológica em telessaúde em pacientes neurológicos com disfagia e disartria durante a pandemia de Covid-19 / Experience report of speech therapy in telehealth with neurological patients with dysphagia and dysarthria during the Covid-19 pandemic / Reporte de experiencia de desempeño logopédico en telesalud en pacientes neurológicos con disfagia y disartria durante la pandemia de Covid-19

Introdução: Devido à COVID-19, os pacientes com doenças neurológicas deixaram de frequentar presencialmente as consultas fonoaudiológicas em ambulatórios. Objetivo: Descrever o relato da experiência fonoaudiológica em pacientes com doença neurológica com disartria e/ou disfagia durante a pandemia da COVID-19 através da telessaúde. Método: Trata-se de um relato de experiência. Foram incluídos pacientes do ambulatório de fonoaudiologia de um hospital universitário, que ficaram privados do acompanhamento fonoaudiológico em período pandêmico e que tinham diagnóstico de disfagia e/ou disartria (prévios à pandemia). No total, 43 pacientes foram convidados a participar do estudo. Os indivíduos foram separados de acordo com seu diagnóstico fonoaudiológico: disfagia, disartria e disfagia/disartria. No início, todos foram reavaliados em videochamadas: disfagia (Northwestern dysphagia patient check sheet, Escala Funcional de Ingestão Via Oral e Instrumento de Autoavaliação da Alimentação); disartria (coleta de fala e questionário de autopercepção Radbould Oral Inventory Motor for Parkinson's disease). Após, os pacientes foram alocados aleatoriamente: teleatendimento fonoaudiológico por quatro semanas consecutivas, sendo o outro grupo controle, sem intervenções e/ou orientações. Todos foram reavaliados para a comparação pré e pós-acompanhamento fonoaudiológico. Resultados: Nove participantes concluíram todas as etapas do estudo, sendo 6 (66,66%) homens. A média de idade foi de 60,44 anos (±16,13). Os participantes possuíam diagnóstico médico de doença neurológica, sendo 2 neurogenética (22,22%), 5 neurodegenerativa (55,5%) e 2 neurológicas (22,22%). Não foram observadas diferenças descritivas entre os grupos nas avaliações pré e pós-intervenção. A perda na amostra aconteceu devido à falta de dispositivos tecnológicos e à sobrecarga dos cuidadores. Conclusões: A experiência em tele fonoaudiologia, apesar de ter sido positiva, revelou a dificuldade da sua implementação em pacientes neurológicos de baixa condições sócio financeiras e educacional.

Introduction: Due to COVID-19, patients with neurological disease no longer attend face-to-face speech therapy consultations in outpatient clinics. Objective: To describe the report of the speech therapy experience patients with neurological disease with dysarthria and/or dysphagia during the COVID-19 pandemic through telehealth. Method: This is an experience report. Patients from the speech therapy outpatient clinic of a university hospital who were deprived of speech therapy during a pandemic period and had a diagnosis of dysphagia and/or dysarthria (prior to the pandemic) were included. In total, 43 patients were invited to participate in the study. Individuals were separated according to their speech-language diagnosis: dysphagia, dysarthria, and dysphagia/dysarthria. In the beginning, all were reassessed in video calls: dysphagia (Northwestern dysphagia patient check sheet, Functional Oral Intake Scale, and Food Self-Assessment Instrument); dysarthria (speech collection and self-perception questionnaire Radbould Oral Motor Inventory for Parkinson's disease). Afterward, the patients were randomly allocated: speech therapy telecare for four consecutive weeks, with the other being a control group, without interventions and/or guidance. All were reassessed for comparison before and after speech therapy follow-up. Results:Nine participants completed all stages of the study, 6 (66.66%) men. The mean age was 60.44 years (±16.13). Participants had a medical diagnosis of neurological disease, 2 of which were neurogenetic (22.22%), five neurodegenerative (55.5%), and two neurologic (22.22%). No descriptive differences were observed between groups in pre- and post-intervention assessments. The loss in the sample happened due to the lack of technological devices and the overload of caregivers. Conclusions: The experience in telehealth was positive, revealing the difficulty of its implementation in neurological patients with low socio-financial and educational conditions.

Introducción: Debido al COVID-19, los pacientes con enfermedades neurologicas ya no asisten a consultas de logopedia presenciales en consultas externas. Objetivo: Describir el relato de la experiencia fonoaudiológica en pacientes con enfermedades neurologicas con disartria y/o disfagia durante la pandemia de COVID-19 a través de telesalud. Método: Este es un relato de experiencia. Se incluyeron pacientes de la consulta externa de logopedia de un hospital universitario, que fueron privados de logopedia durante un período de pandemia y que tenían diagnóstico de disfagia y/o disartria (previo a la pandemia). En total, 43 pacientes fueron invitados a participar en el estudio. Los individuos se separaron según su diagnóstico del habla y el lenguaje: disfagia, disartria y disfagia/disartria. Al principio, todos fueron reevaluados en videollamadas: disfagia (Northwestern dysphagia patient check sheet), Escala de ingesta oral funcional e Instrumento de autoevaluación de alimentos); disartria (cuestionario de recogida de voz y autopercepción Radbould Oral Motor Inventory for Parkinson's disease). Posteriormente, los pacientes fueron asignados aleatoriamente: teleasistencia logopédica durante cuatro semanas consecutivas, siendo el otro grupo control, sin intervenciones y/u orientaciones. Todos fueron reevaluados para compararlos antes y después del seguimiento con logopedia. Resultados: Nueve participantes completaron todas las etapas del estudio, 6 (66,66%) hombres. La edad media fue de 60,44 años (±16,13). Los participantes tenían diagnóstico médico de enfermedad neurológica, 2 de ellas neurogenéticas (22,22%), 5 neurodegenerativas (55,5%) y 2 neurológica (22,22%). No se observaron diferencias descriptivas entre los grupos en las evaluaciones previas y posteriores a la intervención. La pérdida en la muestra ocurrió por la falta de dispositivos tecnológicos y la sobrecarga de cuidadores. Conclusiones: La experiencia en telefonoaudiología, a pesar de ser positiva, reveló la dificultad de su implementación en pacientes neurológicos de baja condición socioeconómica y educativa.

PROMPT to improve speech motor abilities in children with cerebral palsy: a wait-list control group trial protocol.

BACKGROUND: Children with cerebral palsy (CP) often have communication impairments, including speech altered intelligibility. Multiple levels of disrupted speech have been reported in CP, which negatively impact on participation and quality of life, with increase of care needs. Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) is an option, with debated benefits and limitations, in particular for its functional use. This is supported by a substantial lack of defined evidences in favor of direct speech articulation intervention in CP. Motor learning-based interventions are effective in CP and are the basis of speech motor interventions such as PROMPT (Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets). The PROMPT speech motor treatment provides tactile-kinesthetic inputs to facilitate articulatory movements by dynamic modelling, resulting in more efficient motor patterns that can be integrated into speech and communication. In CP, exploratory evidences support the feasibility and preliminarily advantages on intelligibility of motor speech treatments, such as PROMPT, with increased speech motor control, also documented by kinematic analyses. METHODS: A randomized waitlist-control trial will be conducted in children aged between 3- and 10-years having CP and dysarthria (estimated sample size = 60 children). Children will be allocated in the immediate intervention or in the waitlist control group. The intervention consists of an intensive 3 weeks period of twice-a-day administration of PROMPT. Standard care will be administered in the control (waitlist) group. After repeated baseline assessments (T0), the PROMPT treated group will undergo the experimental 3-week intervention period, with T1 assessment at the end. A further T2 assessment will be provided at medium term (3 months after the end of the intervention) for evaluating the stability of intervention. Primary and secondary speech clinical and kinematics outcome measures will be collected at T0, T1 and T2. DISCUSSION: This paper describes the study protocol consisting of a RCT with two main objectives: (1) to evaluate the or short-term benefits of an intensive speech motor intervention on speech and intelligibility in children with CP and the stability of the intervention at medium term; (2) to describe the kinematic correlates of speech motor control modifications. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trial registration date 06/12/2019; ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04189159 .