Stability of Speech Intelligibility Measures Over Repeated Sampling Times in Speakers With Acquired Apraxia of Speech

Am J Speech Lang Pathol. 2021 Jun 18;30(3S):1429-1445. doi: 10.1044/2020_AJSLP-20-00135. Epub 2021 Mar 24.

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this investigation was to measure the test-retest stability of single-word intelligibility in a group of 28 speakers with chronic apraxia of speech and aphasia. Method The Assessment of Intelligibility of Dysarthric Speech was administered twice to each participant, with samples separated by 1 week. Scoring of recorded samples was completed independently by three expert listeners using transcription and multiple-choice scoring formats. Results Percent intelligible words was very similar for the group over the two sampling times for both scoring formats (i.e., within 1.5%), with no statistically significant differences found between times. Statistically significant, very strong, positive correlations were found between sampling times for intelligibility scores. Transcription and multiple-choice scores were strongly, positively correlated, with multiple-choice scores being statistically higher. There was a statistically significant difference between mean transcription and multiple-choice scores for the group at Time 1 and Time 2. Individual performance was similar to group performance for the majority of participants. Conclusions These findings indicate that single-word intelligibility measures are stable over repeated sampling occasions. Stability was evident for transcription and multiple-choice scoring methods. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.14226737.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Apraxias* / diagnosis
  • Dysarthria
  • Humans
  • Speech
  • Speech Disorders
  • Speech Intelligibility*
  • Speech Production Measurement