French adaptation of the "Frenchay Dysarthria Assessment 2" speech intelligibility test

Abstract

Objectives: Speech intelligibility can be defined as "the degree to which a speaker's intended message is recovered by a listener". Loss of intelligibility is one of the most frequent complaints in patients suffering from speech disorder, impairing communication. Measurement of intelligibility is therefore an important parameter in follow-up. We developed a French version of the "Frenchay Dysarthria Assessment, 2nd edition" (FDA-2), an intelligibility test recognized internationally in its English version. The present study details the construction of the test and its preliminary validation.

Materials and methods: We first compiled a set of words and phrases in French, based on the criteria defined in FDA-2. In a second step, we validated the test in healthy subjects in normal and noisy conditions, to check sensitivity to speech signal degradation.

Results: The test proved valid and sensitive, as scores were significantly lower for noise-degraded stimuli.

Conclusion: This French-language intelligibility test can be used to evaluate speech disorder: for example, in dysarthria, head and neck cancer or after cochlear implantation.

Keywords: Dysarthria; Head and Neck Cancer; Speech Disorder; Speech Intelligibility; Speech Production Measurement.