Presence of stop bursts and multiple bursts in individuals with Parkinson disease

Abstract

Studies have reported that individuals with Parkinson Disease (PD) have imprecise articulation of stop consonants due to either slowness of articulators or decreased closure strength. The moment of release for stop consonants, called the burst, has been previously studied in individuals with PD and in other disorders. Multiple bursts (MBs) on the same stop consonant have been reported previously in some motor speech disorders, but no studies are known to have examined MBs in individuals with PD. The current study looked at the occurrences of bursts and MBs in initial stop consonants produced by nine individuals with PD (ON and OFF medication) and nine control speakers. Individuals with PD produced fewer overall bursts compared to control participants. In terms of place of articulation, individuals with PD primarily had loss of bursts in bilabial stops. In addition, individuals with PD had more MBs than control speakers, primarily in alveolars. Finally, no dopamine-related medication effects were found for occurrences of bursts or MBs in individuals with PD. Overall, the study provided evidence for loss of bursts and presence of MBs for stop consonants produced by individuals with PD.

Keywords::

• Parkinson disease
• articulation
• stop consonants
• multiple bursts
• medication

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.