Relations between Speech Intelligibility, Vocal-Tract Behaviour, and Brain Activity for Speech-handicapped Parkinson Patients

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Ulrich Heute
• Subject Area: Electronic Semiconductors, Components and Circuits, Integrated Systems, Sensor Technology, Theoretical Electrical Engineering
• Term: from 2015 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 270146317

Dysarthria is a severe symptom for PD-patients. Grading the speech handicap is as important as assessing the disease itself. Especially for a continuous evaluation of the success during a treatment, however, it is very tedious and expensive. An instrumental determination, based on the recorded speech signal, yields a considerable relief. It can be combined with a non-invasive observation of articulation and phonation by means of the same signals as well as that of the corresponding mis-switched networks in the central nervous system via EEG analysis. This combined analysis is novel and fundamental. In detail, the following questions will be dealt with: - How exact is an instrumental measurement of PD-patients speech intelligibility and its variation during the disease s and treatment s progress, based on recorded speech signals? - Which diagnostic information concerning articulation problems can be derived non-invasively from the same signals, beyond mere intelligibility assessment? - Which defects of the articulating voice-tract movements can be observed by means of a (simple or refined) acoustic-tube model of the vocal tract? - Which changes within the controlling network inside the central nervous system correlate with variations of vocal-tract movements and speech intelligibility? - Which signal components of the EEG reflect disturbances in the speech-controlling brain centres and how do they correlate with the PD network and, possibly, tremor sources? The result will consist of novel measurement techniques, allowing treating physicians to apply new optimization approaches for their medical or surgical treatments.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Schmidt