Protocol for the Evaluation of Speech Intelligibility in Dysarthrias: Evidence of Reliability and Validity

Abstract

Background/Aims: Studies about the reliability and validity of intelligibility measures are fundamental to direct their use and interpretation in both clinical and research settings. The present study assessed inter-rater reliability, internal consistency and criterion validity of scores for the sentence and word subtests of the Protocol for the Evaluation of Speech Intelligibility (PESI). Methods: This study included 180 adult volunteers who were divided into three groups: 30 speakers with dysarthria, 30 control speakers and 120 listeners. Intelligibility scores were calculated according to the percentage of words correctly transcribed in each subtest: words in sentences and single words. Results: The intelligibility measurements exhibited a high level of inter-rater reliability for sentences [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.94] and for single words (ICC = 0.96). The items from the single words subtest of the PESI revealed high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.93). The measurement of intelligibility of sentences and single words had a high discriminatory power (0.82 and 0.95, respectively), with high sensitivity and specificity, particularly for scores in the single words subtest. Conclusion: This study provides preliminary evidence of the reliability and validity of the PESI.

Tratamento motor da fala na disartria flácida: um estudo de caso

“…The perceptual analysis of motor bases speech was conducted using the following instruments: Dysarthrias Assessment Protocol (7) , Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice -CAPE-V (8) , Protocol Orofacial Myofunction Evaluation with Scores -AMIOFE (9) , and Protocol for the Evaluation of Speech Intelligibility -PAIF (10) . It was observed mildly reduced respiratory support for speech, moderate reduction in pitch and loudness, hoarseness, loudness decrease, moderate degree of hypernasality, moderate consonant imprecision and phoneme prolongation, slight vowel inaccuracy, moderately reduced speech rate, with little or no prosodic modulation, few speech intervals for breathing, and moderate reduction on speech intelligibility.…”

Speech–Language Pathology Evaluation and Management of Hyperkinetic Disorders Affecting Speech and Swallowing Function

“… 41 Intelligibility can be informally reported from the speech motor evaluation, 44 , 47 or quantified using standardized tools. 42 , 48 The observations made during the motor speech evaluation enable the SLP to determine the presence/absence and type and severity of dysarthria.…”

Elaboração de um Protocolo de Avaliação Instrumental da Fala (PRAINF) baseado em critérios linguísticos e psicométricos

“…In relation to the adult population, the main instruments for the perceptual speech evaluations are: the Sentence Intelligence Test (SIT) (4) , the Protocol for the Evaluation of Dysarthria (3) , the Protocol for the Evaluation of Speech Intelligibility in Dysarthria -PAIF (5,6) , and the Verbal and Nonverbal Apraxia Protocol (7) . In addition to perceptual speech evaluations, there are currently quantitative instrumental evaluations, such as speech ultrasonography and nasometry, among others, that allow the clinician to identify each level of speech production and to obtain reliable parameters regarding the levels involved in speech production (8) .…”