title: Comparative analysis of speech impairment and upper limb motor dysfunction in Parkinson's disease.
abstract: It is currently unknown whether speech and limb motor effectors in Parkinson's disease (PD) are controlled by similar underlying brain processes. Based on computerized objective analysis, the aim of this study was to evaluate potential correlation between speech and mechanical tests of upper limb motor function. Speech and upper limb motor tests were performed in 22 PD patients and 22 healthy controls. Quantitative acoustic analyses of eight key speech dimensions of hypokinetic dysarthria, including quality of voice, sequential motion rates, consonant articulation, vowel articulation, average loudness, loudness variability, pitch variability, and number of pauses, were performed. Upper limb movements were assessed using the motor part of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, contactless three-dimensional motion capture system, blinded expert evaluation, and the Purdue Pegboard Test. Significant relationships were observed between the quality of voice assessed by jitter and amplitude decrement of finger tapping (r = 0.61, p = 0.003), consonant articulation evaluated using voice onset time and expert rating of finger tapping (r = 0.60, p = 0.003), and number of pauses and Purdue Pegboard Test score (r = 0.60, p = 0.004). The current study supports the hypothesis that speech impairment in PD shares, at least partially, similar pathophysiological processes with limb motor dysfunction. Vocal fold vibration irregularities appeared to be influenced by mechanisms similar to amplitude decrement during repetitive limb movements. Consonant articulation deficits were associated with decreased manual dexterity and movement speed, likely reflecting fine motor control involvement in PD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Circuit Theory, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.|Department of Neurology and Centre of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rusz
authors.affiliation: Department of Circuit Theory, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Tereza
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tykalová
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Informatics, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Kladno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Radim
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Krupička
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine and Motol University Hospital, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Kateřina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zárubová
authors.affiliation: Department of Circuit Theory, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Novotný
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Centre of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jech
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Informatics, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Kladno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Zoltán
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Szabó
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Centre of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. eruzi@lf1.cuni.cz.
authors.forename: Evžen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Růžička
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013068:Speech Production Measurement; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D000978:Antiparkinson Agents
keywords: Bradykinesia; Hypokinetic dysarthria; Limb function; Motion capture; Parkinson’s disease; Speech and voice disorders