Impairment of vowel articulation as a possible marker of disease progression in Parkinson's disease.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

The aim of the current study was to survey if vowel articulation in speakers with Parkinson's disease (PD) shows specific changes in the course of the disease.

Method

67 patients with PD (42 male) and 40 healthy speakers (20 male) were tested and retested after an average time interval of 34 months. Participants had to read a given text as source for subsequent calculation of the triangular vowel space area (tVSA) and vowel articulation index (VAI). Measurement of tVSA and VAI were based upon analysis of the first and second formant of the vowels /α/, /i/and /u/ extracted from defined words within the text.

Results

At first visit, VAI values were reduced in male and female PD patients as compared to the control group, and showed a further decrease at the secon

SUBMITTER: Skodda S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3289640 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature