The goal of this observational study is to describe speech and breathing patterns in adults after acquired brain injury (ABI) and understand how these patterns relate to the presence, severity, and type of dysarthria. The main questions it aims to answer are:
* What changes in voice and breathing are observed in adults with dysarthria after ABI?
* Can combining acoustic, respiratory, and clinical assessments help identify dysarthria severity and subtype?
Participants will:
* Have their speech recorded to measure voice and articulation features, such as pitch, clarity, and the ability to sustain sounds.
* Perform breathing tests using a spirometer to assess lung function.
* Complete the Frenchay Dysarthria Assessment-2 (FDA-2), adapted to Spanish, to classify dysarthria type and severity.
About 97 to 101 participants will take part. The results will help speech therapists better detect, evaluate, and treat dysarthria in adults after brain injury.
Eligibility
Sex
ALL
Min age
18 Years
Max age
—
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion Criteria:
* Adults aged 18 years or older at the time of enrollment.
Diagnosed with acquired brain injury (ABI), including:
* Stroke
* Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
* Brain tumor
* Ability to provide written informed consent (or via a legally authorized representative if necessary).
* Cognitive function preserved, defined as a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score ≥ 24.
Exclusion Criteria:
* History of chronic respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma.
* History of hearing impairments that could affect speech evaluation.
* Presence of additional neurological or neurodegenerative disorders other than the acquired brain injury.
* History of voice disorders or dysphonia prior to the acquired brain injury.
* Presence of persistent pharyngeal symptoms, such as mucus, secretions, or foreign body sensation, which may interfere with speech assessment.
* Participants unable to comply with the assessment protocol or complete the required sessions.
* Presence of apahasia that prevents participation in speech tasks, such as reading, repetition, or spontaneous speech priduction.
Primary outcome measure(s)
Dysarthria severity assessed by the Frenchay Dysarthria Assessment-2 (FDA-2) — Baseline Severity of dysarthria assessed using the Frenchay Dysarthria Assessment-2 (FDA-2), reported as a total score reflecting overall speech motor impairment.
Unit of Measure: FDA-2 total score (ordinal scale)
Vowel Space Area (VSA) — Baseline Vowel Space Area calculated from the first and second formant frequencies (F1-F2) of the corner vowels (/i/, /a/, /u/), expressed in kHz², reflecting articulatory working space and articulatory precision.
Formant Centralization Ratio (FCR) — Baseline Formant Centralization Ratio derived from mean formant frequencies of the vowels (/a, e, i, o, u/), expressed as a dimensionless ratio, reflecting vowel centralization and articulatory impairment.
This page summarises publicly available registry data for informational purposes — not medical advice. Eligibility is determined by each study team; patients should discuss participation with their clinician.
We use cookies to analyse site traffic and improve your experience. With your consent, we may also use cookies for advertising. You can change your choice at any time.
