Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Speech Intelligibility During Clinical and Low Frequency Subthalamic Nucleus Stimulation in Parkinson’s Disease

Version 1 : Received: 25 November 2019 / Approved: 28 November 2019 / Online: 28 November 2019 (02:57:03 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Sidtis, J.J.; Sidtis, D.V.L.; Ramdhani, R.; Tagliati, M. Speech Intelligibility During Clinical and Low Frequency. Brain Sci. 2020, 10, 26. Sidtis, J.J.; Sidtis, D.V.L.; Ramdhani, R.; Tagliati, M. Speech Intelligibility During Clinical and Low Frequency. Brain Sci. 2020, 10, 26.

Abstract

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) has become an effective and widely used tool in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD). STN-DBS has varied effects on speech. Clinical speech ratings suggest worsening following STN-DBS, but quantitative intelligibility, perceptual, and acoustic studies have produced mixed and inconsistent results. Improvements in phonation and declines in articulation have frequently been reported during different speech tasks under different stimulation conditions. Questions remain about preferred STN-DBS stimulation settings. Seven right-handed, native speakers of English with PD treated with bilateral STN-DBS were studied off medication at three stimulation conditions: stimulators off, 60 Hz (low frequency stimulation - LFS), and the typical clinical setting of 185 Hz (High frequency - HFS). Spontaneous speech was recorded in each condition and excerpts were prepared for transcription (intelligibility) and difficulty judgements. Separate excerpts were prepared for listeners to rate abnormalities in voice, articulation, fluency, and rate. Intelligibility for spontaneous speech was reduced at both HFS and LFS when compared to STN-DBS off. Speech produced at HFS was more intelligible than that produced at LFS, but HFS made the intelligibility task (transcription) subjectively more difficult. Both voice quality and articulation were judged to be more abnormal with STN-DBS on. STN-DBS reduced the intelligibility of spontaneous speech at both LFS and HFS but lowering the frequency did not improve intelligibility. Voice quality ratings with STN-DBS were correlated with the ratings made without stimulation. This was not true for articulation ratings. STN-DBS exacerbated an existing voice disorder and may have introduced new articulatory abnormalities.

Keywords

speech; Parkinson’s disease; deep brain stimulation; voice; articulation

Subject

Medicine and Pharmacology, Neuroscience and Neurology

Comments (0)

We encourage comments and feedback from a broad range of readers. See criteria for comments and our Diversity statement.

Leave a public comment
Send a private comment to the author(s)
* All users must log in before leaving a comment
Views 0
Downloads 0
Comments 0
Metrics 0


×
Alerts
Notify me about updates to this article or when a peer-reviewed version is published.
We use cookies on our website to ensure you get the best experience.
Read more about our cookies here.