Speech timing subsequent to brain damage: Effects of utterance length and complexity

Author(s): Boyczuk, J. P.

Journal/Book: Brain Lang. 1999; 67: 525 B St, Ste 1900, San Diego, CA 92101-4495, USA. Academic Press Inc. 30-45.

Abstract: Acoustic analyses of syllable durations were conducted in order to address several hypotheses concerning deficits in the control of speech timing subsequent to focal brain damage. Groups of nonfluent and fluent aphasics, right-hemisphere-damaged patients. And normal controls produced monosyllabic root syllables in medial and final position in the context of shun and long sentences and syntactically simple and complex sentences. Durations of the target syllabic as a proportion of the utterance were compared across contexts and groups. Somewhat surprisingly, the results revealed relatively normal temporal patterns in all subject groups. With the main exception emerging for the nonfluent aphasic patients who failed to demonstrate normal phrase-final lengthening effects. Implications of the findings for theories of temporal control in brain-damaged patients are considered.

Note: Article Baum SR, McGill Univ, Sch Commun Sci & Disorders, 1266 Pine Ave W, Montreal, PQ H3G 1A8, CANADA

Keyword(s): VOICE-ONSET TIME; BROCAS APHASIA; DURATION; HEMISPHERE; PROSODY; APRAXIA; ENGLISH; VOWEL; BOUNDARIES; PERCEPTION

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