Medicine (RMH) - Research Publications

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End date: 2022 × Type: Abstract × Author: Perera, Thushara × Author: Noffs, Gustavo ×

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    Pathophysiology of MS tremor: an fMRI study
    Boonstra, FMC ; Noffs, G ; Perera, T ; Shanahan, CJ ; Vogel, AP ; Evans, A ; Butzkueven, H ; van der Walt, A ; Kolbe, SC (SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, 2017-10)
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    Subclinical speech signs correlate with MS disease severity and differentiates patients with and without clinical cerebellar dysfunction
    Noffs, G ; Boonstra, F ; Perera, T ; Kolbe, S ; Shanahan, C ; Evans, A ; Butzkueven, H ; Vogel, A ; van der Walt, A (SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, 2017-10-01)
    Background: Dysarthria is highly prevalent in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The relationship between dysarthria, MS disease severity and other cerebellar manifestations (such as tremor) is poorly understood. Aim: To examine the relationship between objective markers of speech, disease severity and upper limb tremor in relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive MS. Method: An experienced neurologist determined A) the presence of upper limb tremor, B) the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score and C) the degree of dysarthria (from 0, no disturbance to 4, unintelligible). We used acoustic analysis to investigate 4 speech domains: 1) stability of vocal pitch, in sustained utterance of the vowel /a/; 2) stability of loudness, in the same sustained vowel; 3) diadochokinetic speed, in fast repetition of the meaningless word /pa/ta/ka/ and 4) maximum speed of vocal tract movement (i.e. change in pharynx and mouth cavity shape), measured through change in the second formant frequency in the word “always”, from reading of the “Grandfather Passage”. After adjustment for multiple comparisons, a p< 0.0125 was considered for statistical significance. Results: We assessed 24 MS patients with upper limb tremor (47.2±12.3years, 75% female, EDSS=3.7±1.6) and 24 matched patients without tremor (51.2±10.7years, 75% female, EDSS=3.6±1.7). Clinical dysarthria (median=0, mean=0.375±0.76) moderately correlated with EDSS scores (Spearman's rho =.586, p< .001) and with syllable repetition rates (/pa/ta/ka/ rho=.561, p< .001), marginally correlated with speed of tract movement (rho=.363, p=.012), pitch stability (rho=.37, p=.011), loudness stability (rho=.37, p=.01) but not with upper limb tremor presence (p=.039). Only /pa/ta/ka/ rate correlated with EDSS (rho=.529, p< .001) and speed of tract movement differentiated tremor and non-tremor groups (2-tailed t-test p=0.002, rho=.418). Conclusion: Acoustic speech measurements correlate with MS disease severity and can differentiate overt cerebellar dysfunction. Further study is needed to understand the significance of this relationship longitudinally.
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    Objective analysis of speech correlates with disease severity in Multiple Sclerosis and differentiates groups with and without upper limb tremor
    Noffs, G ; Boonstra, F ; Perera, T ; Kolbe, SC ; Shanahan, CJ ; Evans, A ; Butzkueven, H ; Vogel, AP ; van der Walt, A (SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, 2017-11-01)
    Background: Dysarthria is highly prevalent in Multiple Sclerosis. The relationship between dysarthria, MS disease severity and other cerebellar manifestations (such as tremor) is poorly understood. Objective: To examine the relationship between objective markers of speech, disease severity and upper limb tremor in relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive Multiple Sclerosis. Design Methods: An experienced neurologist determined A) the presence of upper limb tremor, B) the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score and C) the degree of dysarthria (from 0, no disturbance to 4, unintelligible). Through acoustic analysis of speech, we investigated: 1) stability of vocal pitch, in sustained utterance of the vowel /a/; 2) stability of loudness, in the same sustained vowel; 3) diadochokinetic speed, in fast repetition of the meaningless word /pa/ta/ka/ and 4) maximum speed of vocal tract movement (i.e. change in pharynx and mouth cavity shape), measured in the word “always” (from a standard reading passage). After adjustment for multiple comparisons, p<0.0125 was considered for statistical significance. Results: We assessed 24 participants with Multiple Sclerosis and upper limb tremor (47.2±12.3years, 75% female, EDSS=3.7±1.6) and 24 matched patients with Multiple Sclerosis without tremor (51.2±10.7years, 75% female, EDSS=3.6±1.7). Clinical dysarthria scores (median=0, mean=0.375±0.76) correlated with all acoustic variables measured: diadochokinetic speed Spearman’s rho=.561 (p<.001); pitch stability rho=.37 (p=.011); loudness stability rho=.37 (p=.01); and maximum speed of vocal tract movement rho=.363 (p=.012). Diadochokinetic speed strongly correlated with EDSS (rho=.529, p<.001). Speed of vocal tract movement correlated with tremor and differentiated tremor and non-tremor groups (2-tailed t-test p=0.002, rho=.418). Conclusions: In a typically non-to-mildly dysarthric cohort, acoustic speech measurements correlate with disease severity and can differentiate overt cerebellar dysfunction in Multiple Sclerosis. Further study is needed to understand the significance of this relationship longitudinally.
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    Pathophysiology of MS tremor: an fMRI study
    Boonstra, F ; Noffs, G ; Perera, T ; Shanahan, C ; Vogel, A ; Evans, A ; Butzkueven, H ; van der Walt, A ; Kolbe, S (SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, 2017-11)
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    A comparison of human and digital speech analysis to describe and monitor cerebellar dysfunction and disease severity in multiple sclerosis.
    Noffs, G ; Boonstra, F ; Maldonado, F ; Perera, T ; Kolbe, S ; Evans, A ; Butzkeuven, H ; Vogel, A ; van der Walt, A (SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, 2018-10)
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    Functional neuroplasticity in response to cerebello-thalamic injury underpins the clinical presentation of tremor in multiple sclerosis
    Boonstra, FMC ; Noffs, G ; Perera, T ; Jokubaitis, VG ; Vogel, AP ; Moffat, BA ; Butzkueven, H ; Evans, A ; van der Walt, A ; Kolbe, SC (SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, 2020-05)