title: Comparing speech characteristics in spinocerebellar ataxias type 3 and type 6 with Friedreich ataxia.
abstract: Patterns of dysarthria in spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) and their discriminative features still remain elusive. Here we aimed to compare dysarthria profiles of patients with (SCA3 and SCA6 vs. Friedreich ataxia (FRDA), focussing on three particularly vulnerable speech parameters (speaking rate, prosodic modulation, and intelligibility) in ataxic dysarthria as well as on a specific oral non-speech variable of ataxic impairment, i.e., the irregularity of oral motor diadochokinesis (DDK). 30 Patients with SCA3, SCA6, and FRDA, matched for group size (n = 10 each), disease severity, and disease duration produced various speech samples and DDK tasks. A discriminant analysis was used to differentiate speech and non-speech parameters between groups. Regularity of DDK was specifically impaired in SCA3, whereas impairments of speech parameters, i.e., rate and modulation were stronger affected in SCA6. Speech parameters are particularly vulnerable in SCA6, while non-speech oral motor features are notably impaired in SCA3.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Neurology, Center for Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Strasse 3, 72076, Tübingen, Germany, bettina.brendel@uni-tuebingen.de.
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brendel
authors.forename: Matthis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Synofzik
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ackermann
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lindig
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schölderle
authors.forename: Ludger
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schöls
authors.forename: Wolfram
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ziegler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004401:Dysarthria / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005621:Friedreich Ataxia / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D017827:Machado-Joseph Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020754:Spinocerebellar Ataxias / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*