Dataset Information

Repeatability of Commonly Used Speech and Language Features for Clinical Applications.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Changes in speech have the potential to provide important information on the diagnosis and progression of various neurological diseases. Many researchers have relied on open-source speech features to develop algorithms for measuring speech changes in clinical populations as they are convenient and easy to use. However, the repeatability of open-source features in the context of neurological diseases has not been studied.

Methods

We used a longitudinal sample of healthy controls, individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and individuals with suspected frontotemporal dementia, and we evaluated the repeatability of acoustic and language features separately on these 3 data sets.

Results

Repeatability was evaluated using intraclass correlation (ICC) and the within-subjects coefficient of variation (WSCV). In 3 sets of tasks, the median ICC were between 0.02 and 0.55, and the median WSCV were between 29 and 79%.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate that the repeatability of speech features extracted using open-source tool kits is low. Researchers should exercise caution when developing digital health models with open-source speech features. We provide a detailed summary of feature-by-feature repeatability results (ICC, WSCV, SE of measurement, limits of agreement for WSCV, and minimal detectable change) in the online supplementary material so that researchers may incorporate repeatability information into the models they develop.

SUBMITTER: Stegmann GM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7772887 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Repeatability of Commonly Used Speech and Language Features for Clinical Applications.

Stegmann Gabriela M GM Hahn Shira S Liss Julie J Shefner Jeremy J Rutkove Seward B SB Kawabata Kan K Bhandari Samarth S Shelton Kerisa K Duncan Cayla Jessica CJ Berisha Visar V

Digital biomarkers 20200901 3

<h4>Introduction</h4>Changes in speech have the potential to provide important information on the diagnosis and progression of various neurological diseases. Many researchers have relied on open-source speech features to develop algorithms for measuring speech changes in clinical populations as they are convenient and easy to use. However, the repeatability of open-source features in the context of neurological diseases has not been studied.<h4>Methods</h4>We used a longitudinal sample of health ...[more]

PMID: 33442573

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Project description:BackgroundSpeech-language pathologists (SLPs) in non-English speaking countries face challenges when assessing children for speech sound disorders (SSD). Exploring their clinical challenges in service delivery-along with their problem-solving approaches-may contribute to the development of instruments for clinical use in such settings.AimThe study aimed to explore assessment methods used by Iranian SLPs to identify children with SSD.MethodsA cross-sectional survey took place with 113 SLPs working with children with SSD. The survey comprised 36 items grouped into four main themes-service delivery, types of assessments procedures, challenges of evaluating SSD, and ways of keeping up to date. Results were analysed based on participants' levels of education and experience.ResultsParticipants used Persian as the primary language in their work, and over 70% provided services in a private setting. Most participants reported having between 10-30% of clients with SSD in their caseload. Most (73.5%) SLPs involve parents in completing the history form. They favour informal traditional articulation tests, with approximately half the sample selecting this approach from the 14 options presented to them, especially those with bachelor's degrees and minimal experience. More experienced SLPs (62.7%) chose the Polysyllabic Words Test. Assessment, whether formal or informal, was found to be time-consuming by the majority of respondents (18.6% always, 42.5% often). Self-study (65.5%) and taking part in workshops/webinars/journal clubs (60.1%) were ways to keep their knowledge current.ConclusionOur findings are similar to other international survey results on SSD evaluation. Although many Iranian SLPs use informal traditional articulation tests, such assessments are limited in their analysis and the diagnostic information provided. The findings emphasise the need for clear phonological assessment guidelines, valid and reliable 'clinician friendly' instruments, equitable distribution of tools across the country, and suitable tools for bi/multilingual communities.

Project description:Purpose:Researchers have long noted speech recognition variability that is not explained by the pure-tone audiogram. Previous work (Souza, Wright, Blackburn, Tatman, & Gallun, 2015) demonstrated that a small number of listeners with sensorineural hearing loss utilized different types of acoustic cues to identify speechlike stimuli, specifically the extent to which the participant relied upon spectral (or temporal) information for identification. Consistent with recent calls for data rigor and reproducibility, the primary aims of this study were to replicate the pattern of cue use in a larger cohort and to verify stability of the cue profiles over time. Method:Cue-use profiles were measured for adults with sensorineural hearing loss using a syllable identification task consisting of synthetic speechlike stimuli in which spectral and temporal dimensions were manipulated along continua. For the first set, a static spectral shape varied from alveolar to palatal, and a temporal envelope rise time varied from affricate to fricative. For the second set, formant transitions varied from labial to alveolar and a temporal envelope rise time varied from approximant to stop. A discriminant feature analysis was used to determine to what degree spectral and temporal information contributed to stimulus identification. A subset of participants completed a 2nd visit using the same stimuli and procedures. Results:When spectral information was static, most participants were more influenced by spectral than by temporal information. When spectral information was dynamic, participants demonstrated a balanced distribution of cue-use patterns, with nearly equal numbers of individuals influenced by spectral or temporal cues. Individual cue profile was repeatable over a period of several months. Conclusion:In combination with previously published data, these results indicate that listeners with sensorineural hearing loss are influenced by different cues to identify speechlike sounds and that those patterns are stable over time.

Dataset Information

Repeatability of Commonly Used Speech and Language Features for Clinical Applications.

Introduction

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Repeatability of Commonly Used Speech and Language Features for Clinical Applications.

Similar Datasets

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