Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

Spring 5-31-2004

Degree Name

Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering - (M.S.)

Department

Biomedical Engineering

First Advisor

Richard A. Foulds

Second Advisor

David S. Kristol

Third Advisor

Beverly K. Bain

Fourth Advisor

William Corson Hunter

Abstract

Reduced duration, increased consistency, and improved intelligibility are goals of reducing the motor complexity of speech for individuals with cerebral palsy having dysarthria. In this study, measurement and analysis were made to compare an individual with spastic Cerebral Palsy (CP) having dysarthria to an individual with athetoid CP having dysarthria as well as to a non-dysarthric individual. Each participant's normal speech, whispering, and speech using an artificial larynx was evaluated, utilizing the source-filter theory methodology. The plausibility of dysarthric speech duration reduction by minimizing vocalization is tested by stop consonant "P,, to vowel transitions. The data suggest that speech duration is dependent on voice onset time (VOT) variation among the participants. This study could serve as a basis to encourage further research analyzing neuromotor and physiological articulatory control, which could lead to interventional treatment for individuals having dysarthria.

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