The effect of deep brain stimulation on the speech motor system.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

Chronic deep brain stimulation of the nucleus ventralis intermedius is an effective treatment for individuals with medication-resistant essential tremor. However, these individuals report that stimulation has a deleterious effect on their speech. The present study investigates one important factor leading to these effects: the coordination of oral and glottal articulation.

METHOD:

Sixteen native-speaking German adults with essential tremor, between 26 and 86 years old, with and without chronic deep brain stimulation of the nucleus ventralis intermedius and 12 healthy, age-matched subjects were recorded performing a fast syllable repetition task (/papapa/, /tatata/, /kakaka/). Syllable duration and voicing-to-syllable ratio as well as parameters related directly to consonant production, voicing during constriction, and frication during constriction were measured.

RESULTS:

Voicing during constriction was greater in subjects with essential tremor than in controls, indicating a perseveration of voicing into the voiceless consonant. Stimulation led to fewer voiceless intervals (voicing-to-syllable ratio), indicating a reduced degree of glottal abduction during the entire syllable cycle. Stimulation also induced incomplete oral closures (frication during constriction), indicating imprecise oral articulation.

CONCLUSION:

The detrimental effect of stimulation on the speech motor system can be quantified using acoustic measures at the subsyllabic level.

• Authors: Doris Mücke, Johannes Becker, Michael T Barbe, Ingo Meister, Lena Liebhart, Timo B Roettger, Till Dembek, Lars Timmermann, Martine Grice
• Journal: Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR (J Speech Lang Hear Res) Vol. 57 Issue 4 Pg. 1206-18 (Aug 2014) ISSN: 1558-9102 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 24686442 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Case-Control Studies
• Deep Brain Stimulation (adverse effects)
• Essential Tremor (therapy)
• Female
• Germany
• Glottis (physiopathology)
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Phonetics
• Speech (physiology)
• Speech Disorders (etiology, physiopathology)
• Voice (physiology)