Jan Rusz1, Barbora Benova2, Hana Ruzickova2, Michal Novotny3, Tereza Tykalova3, Jan Hlavnicka3, Tomas Uher2, Manuela Vaneckova4, Michaela Andelova2, Klara Novotna2, Lucie Kadrnozkova2, Dana Horakova2. 1. Department of Circuit Theory, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Technicka 2, 160 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic; Department of Neurology and Center of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Katerinska 30, 120 00 Prague 2, Czech Republic. Electronic address: rusz.mz@gmail.com. 2. Department of Neurology and Center of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Katerinska 30, 120 00 Prague 2, Czech Republic. 3. Department of Circuit Theory, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Technicka 2, 160 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic. 4. Department of Radiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Motor speech disorders in multiple sclerosis (MS) are poorly understood and their quantitative, objective acoustic characterization remains limited. Additionally, little data regarding relationships between the severity of speech disorders and neurological involvement in MS, as well as the contribution of pyramidal and cerebellar functional systems on speech phenotypes, is available. METHODS: Speech data were acquired from 141 MS patients with Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) ranging from 1 to 6.5 and 70 matched healthy controls. Objective acoustic speech assessment including subtests on phonation, oral diadochokinesis, articulation and prosody was performed. RESULTS: The prevalence of dysarthria in our MS cohort was 56% while the severity was generally mild and primarily consisted of a combination of spastic and ataxic components. Prosodic-articulatory disorder presenting with monopitch, articulatory decay, excess loudness variations and slow rate was the most salient. Speech disorders reflected subclinical motor impairment with 78% accuracy in discriminating between a subgroup of asymptomatic MS (EDSS < 2.0) and control speakers. Speech disorder severity was related to the severity of neurological involvement. Decreased articulation rate was moderately correlated to EDSS as well as all subtests of the multiple sclerosis functional composite. The strongest correlation was observed between irregular oral diadochokinesis and the 9-Hole Peg Test (r = - 0.65, p < 0.001). Irregular oral diadochokinesis and excess loudness variations significantly separated pure pyramidal and mixed pyramidal-cerebellar MS subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: Automated speech analyses may provide valuable biomarkers of disease progression in MS as dysarthria represents common and early manifestation that reflects disease disability and underlying pyramidal-cerebellar pathophysiology.
BACKGROUND: Motor speech disorders in multiple sclerosis (MS) are poorly understood and their quantitative, objective acoustic characterization remains limited. Additionally, little data regarding relationships between the severity of speech disorders and neurological involvement in MS, as well as the contribution of pyramidal and cerebellar functional systems on speech phenotypes, is available. METHODS: Speech data were acquired from 141 MS patients with Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) ranging from 1 to 6.5 and 70 matched healthy controls. Objective acoustic speech assessment including subtests on phonation, oral diadochokinesis, articulation and prosody was performed. RESULTS: The prevalence of dysarthria in our MS cohort was 56% while the severity was generally mild and primarily consisted of a combination of spastic and ataxic components. Prosodic-articulatory disorder presenting with monopitch, articulatory decay, excess loudness variations and slow rate was the most salient. Speech disorders reflected subclinical motor impairment with 78% accuracy in discriminating between a subgroup of asymptomatic MS (EDSS < 2.0) and control speakers. Speech disorder severity was related to the severity of neurological involvement. Decreased articulation rate was moderately correlated to EDSS as well as all subtests of the multiple sclerosis functional composite. The strongest correlation was observed between irregular oral diadochokinesis and the 9-Hole Peg Test (r = - 0.65, p < 0.001). Irregular oral diadochokinesis and excess loudness variations significantly separated pure pyramidal and mixed pyramidal-cerebellar MS subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: Automated speech analyses may provide valuable biomarkers of disease progression in MS as dysarthria represents common and early manifestation that reflects disease disability and underlying pyramidal-cerebellar pathophysiology.
Authors: Katherine Hope Kenyon; Frederique Boonstra; Gustavo Noffs; Helmut Butzkueven; Adam P Vogel; Scott Kolbe; Anneke van der Walt Journal: Cerebellum Date: 2022-06-27 Impact factor: 3.648
Authors: Sarah K Diehl; Antje S Mefferd; Ya-Chen Lin; Jessie Sellers; Katherine E McDonell; Michael de Riesthal; Daniel O Claassen Journal: Neurology Date: 2019-10-29 Impact factor: 9.910