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US 6,662,162 B2Granted
Method of rating motor dysfunction by assessing speech prosody
OwnerMaureen Casperinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present method provides an acoustic signature with correlation to neurological degeneration for the speech disturbances. Acoustic measures of speech disturbance can be compared to or rated against neurological measures or indicators such as magnetic resonance imaging to diagnose a neurological condition or to rate the severity or progression of a condition.
Claims16
A method of identifying speech motor dysfunction in a test subject comprising:
- measuring one or more acoustic parameters of one or more prosodic conditions;
- comparing each acoustic parameter between pairs of prosodic conditions to obtain a contrast value;
- and
- comparing the contrast values for each acoustic parameter to contrast values of a normal subject,
- wherein a difference in contrast values between the test subject and the normal subject is correlated to speech motor dysfunction;
- and
- wherein the contrast values are compared using the equation
- (Test:
- (+pf+a)−(−pf+a)−Control:
- (+pf+a)−(−pf+a))2+
- (Test:
- (−pf+a)−(−pf−a)−Control:
- (−pf+a)−(−pf−a))2+
- (Test:
- (+n+a)−(−n−a)−Control:
- (+n+a)−(−n−a))2+
- (Test:
- (−n−a)−(red)−Control:
- (−n−a)−(red))2
- wherein
- +pf+a = accented syllables in phrase final;
- −pf+a = accented syllables in non-phrase final;
- −pf−a = unaccented syllables in non phrase final;
- +n+a = nuclear accented;
- −n−a = post-nuclear unaccented syllables;
- and red = reduced CVC syllables. Test = subject Control = control.
23 more elements
A method of identifying speech deterioration in a test subject comprising
- measuring one or more acoustic parameters of one or more prosodic conditions;
- comparing each acoustic parameter between pairs of prosodic conditions to obtain a contrast value;
- and
- comparing the contrast values for each acoustic parameter to contrast values of a normal subject,
- wherein a difference in contrast values between the test subject and the normal subject is correlated to speech deterioration;
- and
- wherein the contrast values are compared using the equation;
- and
- (Test:
- (+pf+a)−(−pf+a)−Control:
- (+pf+a)−(−pf+a))2+
- (Test:
- (−pf+a)−(−pf−a)−Control:
- (−pf+a)−(−pf−a))2+
- (Test:
- (+n+a)−(−n−a)−Control:
- (+n+a)−(−n−a))2+
- (Test:
- (−n−a)−(red)−Control:
- (−n−a)−(red))2
- wherein
- +pf+a = accented syllables in phrase final;
- −pf+a = accented syllables in non-phrase final;
- −pf−a = unaccented syllables in non phrase final;
- +n+a = nuclear accented;
- −n−a = post-nuclear unaccented syllables;
- and red = reduced CVC syllables. Test = subject Control = control.
24 more elements
A method of diagnosing speech motor dysfunction in a test subject comprising
- measuring one or more acoustic parameters of one or more prosodic conditions;
- comparing each acoustic parameter between pairs of prosodic conditions to obtain a contrast value;
- and
- comparing the contrast values for each acoustic parameter to contrast values of a normal subject,
- wherein a difference in contrast values between the test subject and the normal subject is correlated to speech motor dysfunction;
- and
- wherein the contrast values are compared using the equation
- (Test:
- (+pf+a)−(−pf+a)−Control:
- (+pf+a)−(−pf+a))2+
- (Test:
- (−pf+a)−(−pf−a) −Control:
- (−pf+a)−(−pf−a))2+
- (Test:
- (+n+a)−(−n−a)−Control:
- (+n+a)−(−n−a))2+
- (Test:
- (−n−a)−(red)−Control:
- (−n−a)−(red))2
- wherein
- +pf+a = accented syllables in phrase final;
- −pf+a = accented syllables in non-phrase final;
- −pf−a = unaccented syllables in non phrase final;
- +n+a = nuclear accented;
- −n−a = post-nuclear unaccented syllables;
- and red = reduced CVC syllables. Test = subject Control = control.
23 more elements
A method of rating the severity of speech motor dysfunction in a test subject comprising
- measuring one or more acoustic parameters of one or more prosodic conditions;
- comparing each acoustic parameter between pairs of prosodic conditions to obtain a contrast value;
- and
- comparing the contrast values for each acoustic parameter to contrast values of a normal subject,
- wherein a difference in contrast values between the test subject and the normal subject is correlated to the severity of speech motor dysfunction;
- and
- wherein the contrast values are compared using the equation
- (Test:
- (+pf+a)−(−pf+a)−Control:
- (+pf+a)−(−pf+a))2+
- (Test:
- (−pf+a)−(−pf−a)−Control:
- (−pf+a)−(−pf−a))2+
- (Test:
- (+n+a)−(−n−a)−Control:
- (+n+a)−(−n−a))2+
- (Test:
- (−n−a)−(red)−Control:
- (−n−a)−(red))2
- wherein
- +pf+a = accented syllables in phrase final;
- −pf+a = accented syllables in non-phrase final;
- −pf−a = unaccented syllables in non phrase final;
- +n+a = nuclear accented;
- −n−a = post-nuclear unaccented syllables;
- and red = reduced CVC syllables. Test = subject Control = control.
23 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.