Abstract
Purpose
Somatosensory targets and feedback are instrumental in ensuring accurate speech production. Individuals differ in their ability to access and respond to somatosensory information, but there is no established standard for measuring somatosensory acuity. The primary objective of this study was to determine which of three measures of somatosensory acuity had the strongest association with change in production accuracy in a vowel learning task, while controlling for the better studied covariate of auditory acuity.
Method
Three somatosensory tasks were administered to 20 female college students: an oral stereognosis task, a bite block task with auditory masking, and a novel phonetic awareness task. Individual scores from the tasks were compared to their performance on a speech learning task in which participants were trained to produce novel Mandarin vowels with visual biofeedback.
Results
Of the three tasks, only bite block adaptation with auditory masking was significantly associated with performance in the speech learning task. Participants with weaker somatosensory acuity tended to demonstrate larger increases in production accuracy over the course of training.
Conclusions
The bite block adaptation task measures proprioceptive awareness rather than tactile acuity and assesses somatosensory knowledge implicitly, with limited metalinguistic demands. This small-scale study provides preliminary evidence that these characteristics may be desirable for the assessment of oral somatosensory acuity, at least in the context of vowel learning tasks. Well-normed somatosensory measures could be of clinical utility by informing diagnosis/prognosis and treatment planning.
Supplemental Material
References
-
Arndt, W. B., Elbert, M., & Shelton, R. L. (1970). Standardization of a test of oral stereognosis.InJ. F. Bosma (Ed.), Second Symposium on Oral Sensation and Perception (pp. 379–383). Charles C Thomas. -
Attanasio, J. S. (1987). Relationships between oral sensory feedback skills and adaptation to delayed auditory feedback.Journal of Communication Disorders, 20(5), 391–402. https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-9924(87)90027-X - Audacity Team. (2019). Audacity(R): Free audio editor and recorder
(Version 2.3.3) [Computer application] . https://audacityteam.org/ -
Baum, S. R., & McFarland, D. H. (1997). The development of speech adaptation to an artificial palate.The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 102(4), 2353–2359. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.419619 -
Berryman, L. J., Yau, J. M., & Hsiao, S. S. (2006). Representation of object size in the somatosensory system.Journal of Neurophysiology, 96(1), 27–39. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.01190.2005 -
Boersma, P., & Weenink, D. (2019). Praat: Doing phonetics by computer(Version 6.1.14) [Computer software] . http://www.praat.org/ -
Bradlow, A. R., Pisoni, D. B., Akahane-Yamada, R., & Tohkura, Y. (1997). Training Japanese listeners to identify English /r/ and /l/: IV. Some effects of perceptual learning on speech production.The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 101(4), 2299–2310. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.418276 -
Chen, Y., Robb, M., Gilbert, H., & Lerman, J. (2001). Vowel production by Mandarin speakers of English.Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, 15(6), 427–440. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699200110044804 -
Cialdella, L., Kabakoff, H., Preston, J., Dugan, S., Spencer, C., Boyce, S., Tiede, M., Whalen, D., & McAllister, T. (2021). Auditory-perceptual acuity in rhotic misarticulation: Baseline characteristics and treatment response.Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, 35(1), 19–42. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699206.2020.1739749 -
Cohen, J., Cohen, P., West, S. G., & Aiken, L. S. (2013). Applied multiple regression/correlation analysis for the behavioral sciences(3rd ed.) . Routledge. -
Etter, N. M., Miller, O. M., & Ballard, K. J. (2017). Clinically available assessment measures for lingual and labial somatosensation in healthy adults: Normative data and test reliability.American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 26(3), 982–990. https://doi.org/10.1044/2017_AJSLP-16-0151 -
Feng, Y., Gracco, V. L., & Max, L. (2011). Integration of auditory and somatosensory error signals in the neural control of speech movements.Journal of Neurophysiology, 106(2), 667–679. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00638.2010 -
Flege, J. E. (1995). Second language speech learning: Theory, findings, and problems.InW. Strange (Ed.), Speech perception and linguistic experience: issues in cross-language research (pp. 233–277). York Press. -
Flipsen, P. (2015). Emergence and prevalence of persistent and residual speech errors.Seminars in Speech and Language, 36(4), 217–223. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0035-1562905 -
Fucci, D. J. (1972). Oral vibrotactile sensation: An evaluation of normal and defective speakers.Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 15(1), 179–184. https://doi.org/10.1044/jshr.1501.179 -
Fucci, D. J., Petrosino, L., Gorman, P., & Harris, D. (1985). Vibrotactile magnitude production scaling: A method for studying sensory-perceptual responses of stutterers and fluent speakers.Journal of Fluency Disorders, 10(1), 69–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/0094-730X(85)90007-5 -
Fucci, D. J., & Robertson, J. H. (1971). “Functional” defective articulation: An oral sensory disturbance.Perceptual and Motor Skills, 33(3), 711–714. https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.1971.33.3.711 -
Fuentes, C. T., & Bastian, A. J. (2010). Where is your arm? Variations in proprioception across space and tasks.Journal of Neurophysiology, 103(1), 164–171. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00494.2009 -
Gammon, S. A., Smith, P. J., Daniloff, R. G., & Kim, C. W. (1971). Articulation and stress/juncture production under oral anesthetization and masking.Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 14(2), 271–282. https://doi.org/10.1044/jshr.1402.271 -
Ghosh, S. S., Matthies, M. L., Maas, E., Hanson, A., Tiede, M., Ménard, L., Guenther, F. H., Lane, H., & Perkell, J. S. (2010). An investigation of the relation between sibilant production and somatosensory and auditory acuity.The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 128(5), 3079–3087. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.3493430 -
Guenther, F. H. (2016). Neural control of speech. MIT Press. -
Hammer, M. J., & Krueger, M. A. (2014). Voice-related modulation of mechanosensory detection thresholds in the human larynx.Experimental Brain Research, 232(1), 13–20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-013-3703-1 -
Hickok, G. (2012). Computational neuroanatomy of speech production.Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 13(2), 135–145. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3158 -
Hogg, R. V., Tanis, E. A., & Zimmerman, D. L. (2010). Probability and statistical inference. Prentice Hall. -
Houde, J. F., & Nagarajan, S. S. (2011). Speech production as state feedback control.Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 5(82). https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2011.00082 -
Jacobs, R., Serhal, C. B., & van Steenberghe, D. (1998). Oral stereognosis: A review of the literature.Clinical Oral Investigations, 2(1), 3–10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s007840050035 -
Kartushina, N., Hervais-Adelman, A., Frauenfelder, U. H., & Golestani, N. (2015). The effect of phonetic production training with visual feedback on the perception and production of foreign speech sounds.The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 138(2), 817–832. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.4926561 -
Kawahara, H., Morise, M., Banno, H., & Skuk, V. G. (2013). Temporally variable multi-aspect N-way morphing based on interference-free speech representation[Paper presentation] .Asia-Pacific Signal and Information Processing Association Annual Summit and Conference, Kaohsiung, Taiwan . -
Kendall, T., Thomas, E. R., & Kendall, M. T. (2018). Package “vowels” in R(Version 1.2.2) . https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/vowels/vowels.pdf -
Lametti, D. R., Nasir, S. M., & Ostry, D. J. (2012). Sensory preference in speech production revealed by simultaneous alteration of auditory and somatosensory feedback.The Journal of Neuroscience, 32(27), 9351–9358. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0404-12.2012 -
Lennes, M. (2003). Collect_formant_data_from_files.praat[Praat script] . https://lennes.github.io/spect/scripts/collect_formant_data_from_files.praat -
Li, J. J., Ayala, S., Harel, D., Shiller, D. M., & McAllister, T. (2019). Individual predictors of response to biofeedback training for second-language production.The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 146(6), 4625–4643. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.5139423 -
Loucks, T. M. J., & De Nil, L. F. (2006). Oral kinesthetic deficit in adults who stutter: A target-accuracy study.Journal of Motor Behavior, 38(3), 238–247. https://doi.org/10.3200/JMBR.38.3.238-247 -
McAllister Byun, T., & Hitchcock, E. R. (2012). Investigating the use of traditional and spectral biofeedback approaches to intervention for /r/ misarticulation.American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 21(3), 207–221. https://doi.org/10.1044/1058-0360(2012/11-0083) -
McAllister, T., Preston, J. L., Hitchcock, E. R., & Hill, J. (2020). Protocol for Correcting Residual Errors with Spectral, ULtrasound, Traditional Speech therapy Randomized Controlled Trial (C-RESULTS RCT).BMC Pediatrics, 20(1), Article 66. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-020-1941-5 -
McNutt, J. C. (1977). Oral sensory and motor behaviors of children with /s/ or /r/ misarticulations.Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 20(4), 694–703. https://doi.org/10.1044/jshr.2004.694 -
Nasir, S. M., & Ostry, D. J. (2006). Somatosensory precision in speech production.Current Biology, 16(19), 1918–1923. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2006.07.069 -
Nasir, S. M., & Ostry, D. J. (2008). Speech motor learning in profoundly deaf adults.Nature Neuroscience, 11, 1217–1222. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2193 -
Ouni, S. (2014). Tongue control and its implication in pronunciation training.Computer Assisted Language Learning, 27(5), 439–453. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2012.761637 -
Parrell, B., Ramanarayanan, V., Nagarajan, S., & Houde, J. (2019). The FACTS model of speech motor control: Fusing state estimation and task-based control.PLOS Computational Biology, 15(9), Article e1007321. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007321 -
Peirce, J. W., Gray, J. R., Simpson, S., MacAskill, M. R., Höchenberger, R., Sogo, H., Kastman, E., & Lindeløv, J. K. (2019). PsychoPy2: Experiments in behavior made easy.Behavior Research Methods, 51(1), 195–203. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-018-01193-y -
Preston, J. L., Brick, N., & Landi, N. (2013). Ultrasound biofeedback treatment for persisting childhood apraxia of speech.American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 22(4), 627–643. https://doi.org/10.1044/1058-0360(2013/12-0139) -
Proske, U., Tsay, A., & Allen, T. (2014). Muscle thixotropy as a tool in the study of proprioception.Experimental Brain Research, 232(11), 3397–3412. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-014-4088-5 -
Putnam, A. H. B., & Ringel, R. L. (1976). A cineradiographic study of articulation in two talkers with temporarily induced oral sensory deprivation.Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 19(2), 247–266. https://doi.org/10.1044/jshr.1902.247 - R Core Team. (2019). R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing. http://www.R-project.org/
-
Ringel, R. L., & Steer, M. D. (1963). Some effects of tactile and auditory alterations on speech output.Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 6(4), 369–378. https://doi.org/10.1044/jshr.0604.369 -
Steele, C. M., Hill, L., Stokely, S., & Peladeau-Pigeon, M. (2014). Age and strength influences on lingual tactile acuity.Journal of Texture Studies, 45(4), 317–323. https://doi.org/10.1111/jtxs.12076 -
Stewart, C., Evans, W. B., & Fitch, J. L. (1985). Oral form perception skills of stuttering and nonstuttering children measured by stereognosis.Journal of Fluency Disorders, 10(4), 311–316. https://doi.org/10.1016/0094-730X(85)90029-4 -
Sugden, E., Lloyd, S., Lam, J., & Cleland, J. (2019). Systematic review of ultrasound visual biofeedback in intervention for speech sound disorders.International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 54(5), 705–728. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12478 -
Tremblay, S., Shiller, D. M., & Ostry, D. J. (2003). Somatosensory basis of speech production.Nature, 423(6942), 866–869. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01710 -
Trudeau-Fisette, P., Ito, T., & Ménard, L. (2019). Auditory and somatosensory interaction in speech perception in children and adults.Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2019.00344 -
Villacorta, V. M., Perkell, J. S., & Guenther, F. H. (2007). Sensorimotor adaptation to feedback perturbations of vowel acoustics and its relation to perception.The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 122(4), 2306–2319. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.2773966 -
Zandipour, M., Perkell, J., Guenther, F., Tiede, M., Honda, K., & Murano, E. (2006). Speaking with a bite-block: Data and modeling.InH. C. Yehia, D. Demolin, & R. Laboissière (Eds.), Proceedings of the 7th International Seminar on Speech Production (pp. 361–368). CEFALA.
Add to your Mendeley library