Does visual feedback of our tongues help in speech motor learning?
Real-time visual feedback of the tongue, provided by ultrasound, can make
a difference in speech learning outcomes

Date:
August 3, 2021
Source:
American Institute of Physics
Summary:
When we speak, we use our auditory and somatosensory systems to
monitor the results of the movements of our tongue or lips. Since
we cannot typically see our own faces and tongues while we speak,
however, the potential role of visual feedback has remained less
clear. Researchers explore how readily speakers will integrate
visual information about their tongue movements during a speech
motor learning task.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
When we speak, although we may not be aware of it, we use our auditory
and somatosensory systems to monitor the results of the movements of
our tongue or lips.


==========================================================================
This sensory information plays a critical role in how we learn to speak
and maintain accuracy in these behaviors throughout our lives. Since we
cannot typically see our own faces and tongues while we speak, however,
the potential role of visual feedback has remained less clear.

In the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, University of
Montreal and McGill University researchers present a study exploring how readily speakers will integrate visual information about their tongue
movements -- captured in real time via ultrasound -- during a speech
motor learning task.

"Participants in our study, all typical speakers of Quebec French, wore
a custom-molded prosthesis in their mouths to change the shape of their
hard palate, just behind their upper teeth, to disrupt their ability to pronounce the sound 's' -- in effect causing a temporary speech disorder related to this sound," said Douglas Shiller, an associate professor at
the University of Montreal.

One group received visual feedback of their tongue with a sensor under
their chin oriented to provide an ultrasound image within the sagittal
plane (a slice down the midline, front to back).

A second group also received visual feedback of their tongue. In this
case, the sensor was oriented at 90 degrees to the previous condition
with an image of the tongue within the coronal plane (across the tongue
from left to right).



==========================================================================
A third group, the control group, received no visual feedback of their
tongue.

All participants were given the opportunity to practice the "s" sound
with the prosthesis in place for 20 minutes.

"We compared the acoustic properties of the 's' across the three groups
to determine to what degree visual feedback enhanced the ability to
adapt tongue movements to the perturbing effects of the prosthesis,"
said Shiller.

As expected, participants in the coronal visual feedback group improved
their "s" production to a greater degree than those receiving no visual feedback.

"We were surprised, however, to find participants in the sagittal visual feedback group performed even worse than the control group that received
no visual feedback," said Shiller. "In other words, visual feedback of the tongue was found to either enhance motor learning or interfere with it, depending on the nature of the images being presented." The group's
findings broadly support the idea that ultrasound tools can improve
speech learning outcomes when used, for example, in the treatment of
speech disorders or learning new sounds in a second language.

"But care must be taken in precisely how visual information is
selected and presented to a patient," said Shiller. "Visual feedback
that isn't compatible with the demands of the speaking task may
interfere with the person's natural mechanisms of speech learning -- potentially leading to worse outcomes than no visual feedback at all." ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by American_Institute_of_Physics. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Guillaume Barbier, Ryme Merzouki, Mathilde Bal, Shari R. Baum,
Douglas M.

Shiller. Visual feedback of the tongue influences speech
adaptation to a physical modification of the oral cavity. The
Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 2021; 150 (2):
718 DOI: 10.1121/10.0005520 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210803121315.htm

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