Intelligibility as a linear combination of dimensions in dysarthric speech.
Speech samples of 79 dysarthric patients (native speakers of English) were judged by two experienced judges by means of a perceptual rating scale covering the four main dimensions of speech production: voice quality, articulation, nasality and prosody as well as overall intelligibility. In order to determine the relative influence of the four basic dimensions on intelligibility in this study group, a multiple regression model was applied. This model shows that intelligibility can be expressed as a linear combination of weighted perceptual dimensions (R2 = 0.89). This expression reveals the relative importance of the individual dimensions on overall intelligibility. Articulation is shown to be the strongest contributor to intelligibility. A group of 16 dysarthric patients (native speakers of Dutch) was used as a control group in order to evaluate the validity of the expression. Judged and calculated ratings (within the 95% prediction intervals) were in agreement for 75% of the patients. These findings may contribute in the construction of a better balanced measure of functional intelligibility.


OBJECTIVE
2. The impact of articulation on intelligibility is dominant but inclusion of the dimensions "nasality", "voice" and "prosody" results in a more balanced estimation of intelligibility.
De Bodt
Marc S
MS
Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Disorders, University of Antwerp, Edegem, Belgium. marc.de.bodt@uza.be
Hernández-Díaz
Huici Maria E
HM
Van De Heyning
Paul H
PH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D004401:Dysarthria / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013065:Speech Intelligibility