Abstract: ObjectiveTo observe the characteristics of acoustic parameter of mandarin vowels in patients with spastic dysarthria and to explore the optimal mandarin vowel sample for the evaluation of acoustic characteristics of spastic dysarthria patients.MethodsTwenty-two male and six female patients with the age range from 19 to 62 years were recruited to patient group from the department of hearing and speech, China Rehabilitation Research Center. Another 28 normal subjects with comparable characteristics were recruited to control group. Computerized Speech Lab MODEL 4500 was employed to sample and to analyze the characteristics of the acoustic parameter. The data of the two groups were compared to detect the difference between groups.ResultsNo significances were found both between groups and within group in the fundamental frequency when pronouncing all the selected vowels. Significant difference was noticed between groups in the variation of both frequency and amplitude. Within the patient group significant difference was only found in the variation of amplitude when pronouncing all the selected vowels. Between groups, a significant difference was found in HNR (harmonic to noise ratio) when pronouncing vowel ［a］, whereas no significance was noticed in ［i］ and ［u］. Significances were noticed within the patient group among the vowels.ConclusionThe patient demonstrated greater variations in frequency, amplitude and noise component compared to control group. The vowel ［a］ is an appropriate examination variable for mandarin in China.

Key words: spastic dysarthria, vowel, acoustic analysis