Automated assessment of hyoid movement during normal swallow using ultrasound.

Background: The potential for using ultrasound by speech and language therapists (SLTs) as an adjunct clinical tool to assess swallowing function has received increased attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a recent review highlighting the need for further research on normative data, objective measurement, elicitation protocol and training. The dynamic movement of the hyoid, visible in ultrasound, is crucial in facilitating bolus transition and protection of the airway during a swallow and has shown promise as a biomarker of swallowing function.

Aims: To examine the kinematics of the hyoid during a swallow using ultrasound imaging and to relate the patterns to the different stages of a normal swallow.

Translating Ultrasound into Clinical Practice for the Assessment of Swallowing and Laryngeal Function: A Speech and Language Pathology-Led Consensus Study.

Ultrasound (US) has an emerging evidence base for the assessment of swallowing and laryngeal function. Accessibility and technological advances support the use of US as a clinical assessment tool; however, there is insufficient evidence to support its translation into clinical practice. This study aimed to establish consensus on the priorities for translation of US into clinical practice for the assessment of swallowing and laryngeal function.

Speech Prosody Across Stimulus Types for Individuals with Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Up to 89% of the individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) experience speech problem over the course of the disease. Speech prosody and intelligibility are two of the most affected areas in hypokinetic dysarthria. However, assessment of these areas could potentially be problematic as speech prosody and intelligibility could be affected by the type of speech materials employed.

The perception of intonation questions and statements in Cantonese.

In tone languages there are potential conflicts in the perception of lexical tone and intonation, as both depend mainly on the differences in fundamental frequency (F0) patterns. The present study investigated the acoustic cues associated with the perception of sentences as questions or statements in Cantonese, as a function of the lexical tone in sentence final position. Cantonese listeners performed intonation identification tasks involving complete sentences, isolated final syllables, and sentences without the final syllable (carriers).

Intonation contrast in Cantonese speakers with hypokinetic dysarthria associated with Parkinson's disease.

Purpose: Speech produced by individuals with hypokinetic dysarthria associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by a number of features including impaired speech prosody. The purpose of this study was to investigate intonation contrasts produced by this group of speakers.

Method: Speech materials with a question-statement contrast were collected from 14 Cantonese speakers with PD.

Dysprosody and stimulus effects in Cantonese speakers with Parkinson's disease.

Background: Dysprosody is a common feature in speakers with hypokinetic dysarthria. However, speech prosody varies across different types of speech materials. This raises the question of what is the most appropriate speech material for the evaluation of dysprosody.

Effect of intonation on cantonese lexical tones.

In tonal languages, there are potential conflicts between the FO-based changes due to the coexistence of intonation and lexical tones. In the present study, the interaction of tone and intonation in Cantonese was examined using acoustic and perceptual analyses. The acoustic patterns of tones at the initial, medial, and final positions of questions and statements were measured.

Perceptual characteristics of Cantonese hypokinetic dysarthria.

The aims of this study were to provide a perceptual speech 'profile' for Cantonese speakers with hypokinetic dysarthria, to examine the reliability of non-expert listeners in perceptual judgements of dysarthric speech, and to investigate cross-language differences in profiles of hypokinetic dysarthria. Participants included 19 speakers with Parkinson's disease and 10 speech-language pathologists who served as listeners. Listeners rated 21 speech dimensions, using seven-point interval scales.