Keiko Ishikawa, Ph.D., M.M., CCC-SLP and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, recently had her article, "Landmark-based analysis of speech differentiates conversational from clear speech in speakers with muscle tension dysphonia," published online in JASA Express Letters.

“This study aimed to test a new method for analyzing the way people speak, called landmark-based analysis of speech (LMBAS), using audio recordings from people who suffer from muscle tension dysphonia (MTD)," Ishikawa said. "The researchers recorded 34 adults with MTD speaking both normally and trying to speak more clearly. They then used the LMBAS computer program to analyze these recordings and see if there were any differences in the way they spoke."

The results, Ishikawa said, showed that certain parts of the speech, like the way the voice starts and stops and the time between these moments, are different between conversational and clear speech.

The paper was produced through a multi-disciplinary collaboration between Ishikawa, Dr. Mary Pietrowicz at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Dr. Diana Orbelo and Ms. Sara Charney at the Mayo Clinic.

"This approach could be useful for keeping track of patients' progress in voice and speech rehabilitation," Ishikawa said.