Objective: This study aimed to investigate the speech behavior of PD, MSA, and PSP in clear vs. conversational speech task compared to healthy controls (HC).

Background: Acoustic analysis of speech performances has the potential to be a sensitive biomarker of neurodegenerative alterations of speech that might facilitate differential diagnosis between Parkinson’s disease (PD), multiple system atrophy (MSA) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Early precise diagnosis of individual parkinsonian syndromes is intriguing considering appropriate treatment management including personalized speech therapy.

Method: A total of 68 participants including 17 PD, 17 MSA, 17 PSP, and 17 HC were recorded. Each participant performed two readings of the same standardized text. During the first reading, participants were given instructions “to read the text in an ordinary way they are used to in common life” (hereafter, conversational speech). During the second reading, participants were asked “to read the text as clearly as possible, as if they were presenting in front of a big crowd of people” (hereafter, clear speech). Acoustic analysis was based upon measurement of mean loudness (Int), loudness variability (IntSD), pitch variability (F0SD), vowel articulation (VSA) and articulation rate (AR).

Results: Considering the effect of task, we found differences between conversational and clear speech in all measurements (p < 0.05) except for AR (p = 1). With respect to group effect, we revealed differences between both MSA and PSP compared to HC in measurement of F0SD (p < 0.001) and VSA (p < 0.001), between PSP and HC in measurement of AR (p < 0.001) as well as between PSP and PD in measurement of F0SD (p < 0.05), VSA (p < 0.05) and AR (p < 0.001). The interaction between group and task was observed for measurement of F0SD (p < 0.001), where only PD and HC were able to improve under the clear condition, and AR (p < 0.001), where MSA and PSP read faster while HC slowed articulation rate under clear condition.

Conclusion: While PD patients were able to consciously improve their clear speech performance using multiple acoustic cues, both MSA and PSP applied mainly adjustment of articulation rate to facilitate their speech performance. The particular strategy employed by individual speakers group may be important for optimization of speech therapy.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/clear-versus-conversational-speech-in-parkinsons-disease-progressive-supranuclear-palsy-and-multiple-system-atrophy/