Abstract

Speech production involves highly complex coordinated articulatory movements and is modulated by the cerebral cortex and neurobehavioral processes. Impairments to different structures in the nervous system lead to differing pathological speech and behavioural manifestations of dysarthria. However, the relationship between language cognitive ability and speech quality remains unclear. The current study explored significant speech and behavioural symptoms of dysarthria and revealed the relationships between acoustic features and speech-cognitive behaviour parameters. Audio and speech behavioural data were collected from 20 subacute patients with subacute dysarthria and 22 healthy controls. A series of speech behavioural tasks were designed to quantify functional speech production ability effectively. The experimental group of patients received folic acid treatment, with an initial dose of 4 mg twice daily, adjusted up to a maximum of 8 mg twice daily based on response and tolerance. Multidimensional acoustic-behaviour features were then extracted and analysed. Finally, significant abnormalities and correlations were found between acoustic (e.g., vowel space area, mel frequency cepstral coefficients) and behavioural features (e.g., reaction time). These results verify that dysarthria is affected not only by the motor control processes but also modulated by speech behaviour levels. In conclusion, the present study can contribute to understanding the speech-behavioural mechanisms of dysarthria and suggest the influence of subacute stroke on speech production. It has important implications for future refined diagnosis and targeted treatment of post-stroke speech impairments.