A Clinical Tool for Prognosis and Speech Rehabilitation in Dysarthric Patients: The DESIRE Project

Massimiliano Donati, Alessio Bechini, Clelia D'Anna, Bruno Fattori, Marco Marini, Martina Olivelli, Susanna Pelagatti, Giulia Ricci, Erika Schirinzi, Gabriele Siciliano, Mirko Tavosanis, Francesca Torri, Nicola Vanello, Luca Fanucci

Abstract: Dysarthria is a motor disorder of speech characterized by alteration of articulation and intelligibility of speech. The goal of dysarthria management is to optimize communication effectiveness for as long as possible. To help clinicians in monitoring disease progression and rehabilitation outcomes, the DESIRE tool analyzes several reading sessions in which the patients pronounce predetermined selected words aloud, elaborating a measure of how much the patient’s pronunciation deviates from those of previous sessions and the expected performance. In addition, the electronical record offers a comprehensive view of patient’s status, and the web access allows the care team to remotely monitor progresses, so that they can tailor rehabilitation programs over time. Through the possibility to understand the patient difficulty about specific phonemes, word length, consonant clusters, this innovative tool offers a method to assess and monitoring dysarthria, to address therapeutic strategies, and to provide useful requirements for clinical trials readiness.