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Speech Impairment in Cerebellar Ataxia Affects Naturalness More Than Intelligibility

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Abstract

The purpose of this analysis was to document intelligibility and naturalness in ataxia, a neurological condition that results from cerebellar damage. The cerebellum is important for normal speech production to scale and coordinate articulatory and laryngeal movements. The disruption of these cerebellar mechanisms has unique implications for how intelligibility and naturalness are affected in ataxia. The results of research on speech in ataxia have important clinical implications for assessment and treatment of individuals with ataxic dysarthria. Speech samples from 27 participants with ataxia and 28 age- and sex-matched control participants were assessed by nine speech-language pathology graduate students for intelligibility and naturalness. Intelligibility was measured as the percentage of words transcribed correctly, and naturalness was assessed as a subjective rating on a seven-point interval scale. Both intra- and inter-rater reliability were moderate to high for both intelligibility and naturalness. Speech intelligibility and naturalness were robustly decreased in the ataxia group compared to the control group; however, the difference was greater for measures of speech naturalness. There were robust relationships among dysarthria severity, length of diagnosis, and speech naturalness in speakers with ataxia, but there were no other robust effects for age, sex, or impact on quality of life for intelligibility or naturalness. Speech naturalness was more impaired than intelligibility in speakers with ataxia. Impaired naturalness can have debilitating consequences for communicative participation, effectiveness, and quality of life. Assessment and treatment for ataxic dysarthria should include aspects of prosodic control for speech naturalness.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the participants for their time and effort to participate in this study.

Funding

This research was funded by the NIH NIDCD F31 DC017877-01A1 and the Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders.

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  1. University of Colorado Boulder, 2501 Kittredge Loop Drive, Boulder, CO, 80039, USA

    Allison Hilger, Caitlin Cloud & Taylor Fahey

  2. Skagit Regional Health, 300 Hospital Parkway, Mount Vernon, WA, 98274, USA

    Caitlin Cloud

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Hilger, A., Cloud, C. & Fahey, T. Speech Impairment in Cerebellar Ataxia Affects Naturalness More Than Intelligibility. Cerebellum 22, 601–612 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12311-022-01427-y

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