ABS 086: The Impact of Articulatory Acoustics on Patient-Centered Speech Outcomes in Parkinson’s Disease

Rafael Davis ¹ ² , Daria Dragicevic, BA ¹ , Cara Stepp, PhD ¹

¹ Stepp Lab for Sensorimotor Rehabilitation Engineering, Boston University
² Department of Neuroscience, Brown University

Van Wickle (2025) Volume 1, ABS 086

Introduction: Parkinson’s disease (PD) impairs speech through reduced articulatory range and vocal intensity, affecting communication and quality of life (QoL). Acoustic metrics like quadrilateral vowel space area (qVSA) and sound pressure level (SPL) range quantify speech deficits, but their relationship with patient-centered outcomes (PCOs) remains underexplored. This study investigates the correlation between articulatory acoustic range-of-motion metrics and PCOs in people with PD (PwPD), with particular attention to sex-specific patterns.

Methods: Twenty-three individuals with idiopathic PD underwent a speech production study to extract qVSA and SPL range values. PCOs were assessed using the MDS-UPDRS (motor symptoms), NMSS (non-motor symptoms), and VRQoL (voice-related quality of life). Pairwise Pearson correlation analyses were performed to evaluate relationships between acoustic metrics and PCO scores, with qVSA correlations stratified by sex.

Results: No statistically significant correlations were observed; however, weak sex-specific trends emerged. Among males, a weak positive correlation was observed between qVSA and VRQoL (r = 0.290, p = 0.315), while among females, a weak negative correlation was observed between qVSA and MDS-UPDRS (r = -0.419, p = 0.262). There were weak, inconsistent correlations between SPL range and the PCOs. NMSS was minimally associated with either acoustic measure.

Discussion: Although nonsignificant, observed trends suggest sex-specific relationships between articulatory range and perceived communication outcomes in PwPD, the limited sample size and narrow symptom variability among participants may have obscured stronger associations. Despite these limitations, this study provides a foundation for future investigations into the relationship between articulatory acoustics and PCOs, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions that address both speech production deficits and their impact on patient-centered speech outcomes.