Chinese Journal of Rehabilitation Theory and Practice ›› 2024, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (8): 979-992.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-9771.2024.08.014

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Characteristics of speech prosody function in adults with non-fluent aphasia after stroke

WANG Zhe1,2, WAN Qin1,2(), HUANG Zhaoming1,2, WANG Yongli1,2, QIAN Hong3   

  1. 1. Department of Rehabilitation Science, Faculty of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
    2. Institute of Chinese Speech and Hearing Rehabilitation Science and ICF Application, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
    3. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shanghai Fifth Rehabilitation Hospital, Shanghai 201600, China
  • Received:2024-06-17 Published:2024-08-25 Online:2024-09-11
  • Supported by:
    National Social Science Foundation (Key)(20AZD125)

Abstract:

Objective To explore the characteristics of speech prosody chunking, affect, focus and interaction function in patients with non-fluent aphasia after stroke.

Methods From December, 2023 to March, 2024, patients with non-fluent aphasia after stroke (experimental group, n = 25) and healthy subjects (control group, n = 25) were recruited from Shanghai Fifth Rehabilitation Hospital, and the two groups were compared in terms of chunking, affect, focus and interaction performance using a self-administered speech prosody function assessment tool and acoustic analyzing instrument.

Results In chunking prosody, there were differences in auditory discrimination (Z = -4.856, P < 0.001), auditory recognition of "two chunks" (Z = -3.024, P = 0.002), and subjective scores, total pause duration, average pause duration, average syllabic duration and structural sonic rate (|Z| > 2.911, P < 0.001) of imitating "two chunks" and autonomously outputing "two chunks" and "three chunks" between two groups. In affect prosody, there were differences in listening to distinguish different emotions (Z = -3.322, P = 0.001), listening to identify "like emotion" (Z = -3.481, P = 0.001), and the subjective score (Z = -6.214, P < 0.001), average intensity (Z = -3.581, P < 0.001) and standard deviation of intensity (Z = -3.181, P = 0.001) of imitating "like emotion" between two groups; there were differences in the subjective score (Z= -5.510, P < 0.001), average intensity (Z = -3.429, P = 0.001), standard deviation of intensity (Z = -4.777, P < 0.001) and fundamental frequency variation range (t = 1.852, P = 0.029) of autonomously outputing "like emotion" between two groups. In focus prosody, there were differences in listening to distinguish different focuses (Z = -2.658, P = 0.008), listening to identify the "end of sentence" focus (Z = -2.023, P = 0.011), and the peak stress intensity of imitating the "first sentence" focus (t =8.294, P< 0.001); the subjective score (|Z| > 5.102, P < 0.001) and peak stress intensity (t> 8.298, P < 0.001) of imitating the "mid-sentence" and "end-sentence", and the subjective score (Z = -4.371, P < 0.001) and peak stress intensity (t = 8.842, P < 0.001) of autonomously outputing the focus of the "first sentence" between two groups; there were differences in the subjective score (|Z| > 4.970, P < 0.001), peak stress intensity (t > 9.373, P < 0.001) and stress duration (|t| > 2.912, P < 0.01) of autonomously outputing the focus of the "mid-sentence" and "end-sentence". In the interaction prosody, there were no significant difference in auditory resolution and auditory recognition between two groups (P > 0.05), however, there were significant differences in the subjective score (|Z| > 4.938, P < 0.001) and the fundamental frequency slope k (|t| > 4.609, P < 0.001) of the interrogative tone both in imitative output and autonomous output.

Conclusions Patients with non-fluent aphasia showed significant abnormalities in the recognition and expression of "2 chunks" "like emotion" "sentence-final focus" and "questioning tone."

Key words: stroke, non-fluent aphasia, adults, prosody function, speech prosody

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