Acoustic Speech Analytics Are Predictive of Cerebellar Dysfunction in Multiple Sclerosis
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Acoustic Speech Analytics Are Predictive of Cerebellar Dysfunction in Multiple Sclerosis Gustavo Noffs 1,2 & Frederique M. C. Boonstra 3 & Thushara Perera 4,5 & Scott C. Kolbe 3,6 & Jim Stankovich 3 & Helmut Butzkueven 3 & Andrew Evans 2,4 & Adam P. Vogel 1,4,7,8 & Anneke van der Walt 2,3,4
# Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Speech production relies on motor control and cognitive processing and is linked to cerebellar function. In diseases where the cerebellum is impaired, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), speech abnormalities are common and can be detected by instrumental assessments. However, the potential of speech assessments to be used to monitor cerebellar impairment in MS remains unexplored. The aim of this study is to build an objectively measured speech score that reflects cerebellar function, pathology and quality of life in MS. Eighty-five people with MS and 21 controls participated in the study. Speech was independently assessed through objective acoustic analysis and blind expert listener ratings. Cerebellar function and overall disease disability were measured through validated clinical scores; cerebellar pathology was assessed via magnetic resonance imaging, and validated questionnaires informed quality of life. Selected speech variables were entered in a regression model to predict cerebellar function. The resulting model was condensed into one composite speech score and tested for prediction of abnormal 9-hole peg test (9HPT), and for correlations with the remaining cerebellar scores, imaging measurements and self-assessed quality of life. Slow rate of syllable repetition and increased free speech pause percentage were the strongest predictors of cerebellar impairment, complemented by phonatory instability. Those variables formed the acoustic composite score that accounted for 54% of variation in cerebellar function, correlated with cerebellar white matter volume (r = 0.3, p = 0.017), quality of life (r = 0.5, p < 0.001) and predicted an abnormal 9HPT with 85% accuracy. An objective multi-feature speech metric was highly representative of motor cerebellar impairment in MS. Keywords Multiple Sclerosis . disability evaluation . speech acoustics . magnetic resonance imaging . quality of life . biomarkers
Adam P. Vogel and Anneke van der Walt Joint senior authors Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s12311-020-01151-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. * Gustavo Noffs [email protected] 1
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The Bionics Institute, East Melbourne, Australia
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Department of Medical Bionics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
Centre for Neuroscience of Speech, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
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Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Australia
Department of Neurology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Australia
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Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourn
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