Objective: The present study investigated the effects of different tasks on lingual kinematics in two individuals diagnosed with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (PD) using the electromagnetic articulography (AG-200 EMA Carstens).

Background: Articulatory kinematics studies in individuals with PD have primarily examined lingual kinematics during speech and non-speech tasks separately. Some studies have reported positive effects of increased loudness. However, limited studies have examined the effects of different tasks on lingual kinematics in dysarthric individuals with PD. Apart from group studies, case-based investigation may provide useful information on individual variability in lingual control and articulatory strategies.

Methods: Tongue tip movement during a speech task (alveolar sentence production) and a non-speech task (rapid /ta/ syllable repetition) in two individuals with PD were recorded using EMA. The lingual kinematics performance of the individuals with PD were compared with the performance of an age and gender-matched non-neurologically impaired healthy control.

Results: Both individuals with PD were judged to present with a mild hypokinetic dysarthria on the basis of a perceptual assessment. Results showed that the individuals with PD had lingual kinematic deficits in both speaking conditions and different patterns were observed. Participant One had increased lingual kinematics during sentence production and primarily reduced lingual kinematics during rapid syllable repetition. Participant Two had increased lingual kinematics during sentence production and during rapid syllable repetition. The effects of different tasks, individual differences and their clinical implication were discussed in relation to speech motor control.

Conclusions: The present study documented possible task effects on lingual kinematics in dysarthric individuals with PD. Noticeable individual differences were also documented.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/task-effects-on-lingual-kinematics-in-dysarthric-individuals-with-parkinsons-disease-insights-from-two-cases/