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The Speech Electromyography, Acoustics, and Kinematics (SEAK) Lab conducts research on the impact of neurological diagnoses on speech production. Parkinson disease impacts 90,000 new individuals in the United States each year. Up to 90% of individuals living with Parkinson disease will experience a change to their voice and speech, known as dysarthria, at some point in the disease progression. These speech changes can include a low vocal intensity, mumbled speech sounds, a fast or slow speaking rate, and stuttering or stammering, among other changes. The cause of Parkinson disease is unknown, and treatment options for speech and communication changes remain limited. 

Our research studies involve the analysis of speech production through multimodal measures of speech, including speech kinematics, acoustics, and sEMG. Using these techniques, we are able to quantify subtle changes to speech production related to Parkinson disease and other movement disorders and the impact of behavioral changes like using clearer- or louder-than-normal speech. These findings are expected to help us better understand the mechanisms behind speech problems secondary to Parkinson disease and person-specific speech therapy treatments.

Funded by the National Institutes of Health (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders [NIDCD]), our lab is conducting one of the first studies to examine the use of video calls to track changes to speech and provide personalized cues for speakers living with Parkinson disease. This research is expected to lead to novel insights on the use of artificial intelligence to empower individuals throughout the Parkinson's progression. This research is currently being conducted at the University of Wyoming, with research participants welcomed from anywhere in the United States.

Contact seaklab@uwyo.edu to get more information on our work and ongoing efforts.