Modelling Aspects of Reduction and Assimilation of consonant sequences in Spontaneous French Speech

International audienceThe following paper presents spectrographic data of consonant sequences containing one or two consonants omitted and/or changed into another consonant when compared to an existing perception analysis. In most cases, perceptual and acoustic data are shown to strongly correspond, proving that consonants had indeed been changed, significantly reduced or deleted, mainly in a weak position, thereby preserving acoustic information crucial for lexical access, integration of prosodic structure and successful communication. Tentative rules summarise the tendencies observed in reduction and assimilation patterns

Consonant and Vowel Duration in Parkinsonian French Speech

International audienceThe current study compared vowel and consonant duration in speech read by 10 French Parkinsonian speakers and 10 control speakers. The results show a different impact of Parkinson's disease (PD) on speech segments. Consonants were shortened in PD speech while vowels were significantly longer. This results from the concomitance of articulatory movements of reduced amplitude and orofacil bradykinesia. As a consequence syllabic productions are of the overall duration in PD speech as in normal speech. The durational contrast of consonants was maintained, although for vowels there was less agreement with the normal pattern of intrinsic durations, especially for high vowels

Acoustic Properties of Consonant Sequences in Conversational French Speech

International audienceThe current paper analyses spectrographic data of two-consonant sequences with one or both consonants identified, omitted or changed into another consonant, with one or two features identified or with no feature identified, when compared to an earlier perception analysis. Perceptual and acoustic data mostly correspond, proving that consonants had indeed been changed, significantly reduced or deleted, mainly in coda position and in non-final phrase syllables, thereby preserving acoustic information crucial for lexical access, integration of prosodic structure and successful communication

Modelling Aspects of Reduction and Assimilation of consonant sequences in Spontaneous French Speech

International audienceThe following paper presents spectrographic data of consonant sequences containing one or two consonants omitted and/or changed into another consonant when compared to an existing perception analysis. In most cases, perceptual and acoustic data are shown to strongly correspond, proving that consonants had indeed been changed, significantly reduced or deleted, mainly in a weak position, thereby preserving acoustic information crucial for lexical access, integration of prosodic structure and successful communication. Tentative rules summarise the tendencies observed in reduction and assimilation patterns

Acoustic analysis of occlusive weakening in Parkinsonian French speech

International audienceThe current study investigated selected acoustic characteristics of the weakening of occlusives (O's) in French Parkinsonian Speech (PS). The results confirm an increase in the reduction of O's in PS compared to control speech (CS). In PS, O's have a significantly decreased intervocalic energy level, slightly shorter realisations and a higher number of visible formants and noise; the number of burstless and omitted O's is also higher. However, weakening patterns vary between different consonants and are strongly dependent on voicing and place. Occlusive weakening, a consequence of Parksinson's disease production deficits, appears to be influenced by the inherent-articulatory characteristics of consonants

Consonant and Vowel Duration in Parkinsonian French Speech

International audienceThe current study compared vowel and consonant duration in speech read by 10 French Parkinsonian speakers and 10 control speakers. The results show a different impact of Parkinson's disease (PD) on speech segments. Consonants were shortened in PD speech while vowels were significantly longer. This results from the concomitance of articulatory movements of reduced amplitude and orofacil bradykinesia. As a consequence syllabic productions are of the overall duration in PD speech as in normal speech. The durational contrast of consonants was maintained, although for vowels there was less agreement with the normal pattern of intrinsic durations, especially for high vowels

Acoustic Properties of Consonant Sequences in Conversational French Speech

International audienceThe current paper analyses spectrographic data of two-consonant sequences with one or both consonants identified, omitted or changed into another consonant, with one or two features identified or with no feature identified, when compared to an earlier perception analysis. Perceptual and acoustic data mostly correspond, proving that consonants had indeed been changed, significantly reduced or deleted, mainly in coda position and in non-final phrase syllables, thereby preserving acoustic information crucial for lexical access, integration of prosodic structure and successful communication

Effets de la maladie de Parkinson sur la réalisation acoustique des occlusives du français lu

Cette étude examine un certain nombre de caractéristiques acoustiques de l'affaiblissement des occlusives en français dans la parole de personnes atteintes de la maladie de Parkinson. Les résultats confirment un accroissement des processus de réduction dans la parole parkinsonienne comparée à la parole dite normale. Dans la parole parkinsonienne, les occlusives ont un niveau d'énergie plus faible et des réalisations légèrement plus brèves ; elles sont caractérisées par l'absence d'explosion, la présence de bruit et un nombre élevé de formants ; elles sont aussi plus souvent omises. L'affaiblissement des occlusives, qui est une conséquence des déficits de production de la parole dus à la maladie de Parkinson, est influencé par les caractéristiques articulatoires inhérentes des consonnes

Syllable structure, syllable duration and final lengthening in parkinsonian French speech

International audienceThe present study investigates the duration of syllables with relation to position within phrases and the pattern of segment omissions within syllables in a text read by 12 French PD patients and 12 French control subjects. Three main tendencies emerged. The first was similar duration of syllables in PD and control speech, which may result from a combination of articulatory undershoot and slowness of speech gestures. The second was a normal incidence of segment omissions in both groups: these were mostly coda consonants and/or the second member of C1C2 sequences. The third was a normal production and a strong correlation of final lengthening with the syntactic structure of sentences in both PD speech and control speech. Having analysed the results the study evaluates their implication with respect to the role of basal ganglia in the production of speech

Final Lengthening in Parkinsonian French Speech

International audienceThe ensuing study examined the impact of Parkinson disease (PD) on the duration of CV syllables in different positions within phrases and the distribution of final lengthening (FL) on syllable subcomponents. Two main tendenciess emerged:1) PD patients produced normal FL and 2) FL effects can be attributed primarily to vowels. These findings suggest that PD speakers had no difficulty with FL and that there is a progressive lengthening across the subconstituents of the final syllable. More fundamentally, these results indicate that the syntactic function of prosody is intact in PD patients at least at the early and mild stages of the disease