Pathological Speech Classification and Processing for Advanced Medical Diagnosis

A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in Diagnostics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 1114

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. GITA Lab, Faculty of Engineering, University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
2. Pattern Recognition Lab, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen–Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
Interests: computer science; artificial intelligence; signals processing; biomedical engineering; speech processing
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue "Pathological Speech Classification and Processing for Advanced Medical Diagnosis" delves into the emerging field of pathological speech analysis, examining its potential in enhancing medical diagnosis. This Special Issue highlights innovative techniques and methodologies for speech recognition, analysis, and processing in diseased states, aiming to improve the accuracy and efficiency of clinical assessments. By exploring the latest advancements in this domain, it aims to foster a better understanding of pathological speech patterns and their application in precision medicine.

Prof. Dr. Juan Rafael Orozco-Arroyave
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • pathological speech
  • medical diagnosis
  • classification and processing
  • Parkinson's disease
  • hypokinetic dysarthria
  • dysarthria
  • aphasia
  • voice disorders
  • dysphonia
  • AI

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

22 pages, 1759 KiB  
Article
Discriminating Children with Speech Sound Disorders from Children with Typically Developing Speech Using the Motor Speech Hierarchy Probe Words: A Preliminary Analysis of Mandibular Control
by Linda Orton, Richard Palmer, Roslyn Ward, Petra Helmholz, Geoffrey R. Strauss, Paul Davey and Neville W. Hennessey
Diagnostics 2025, 15(14), 1793; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15141793 - 16 Jul 2025
Viewed by 535
Abstract
Background/Objectives: The Motor Speech Hierarchy (MSH) Probe Words (PWs) have yet to be validated as effective in discriminating between children with impaired and children with typically developing speech motor control. This preliminary study first examined the effectiveness of the mandibular control subtest [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: The Motor Speech Hierarchy (MSH) Probe Words (PWs) have yet to be validated as effective in discriminating between children with impaired and children with typically developing speech motor control. This preliminary study first examined the effectiveness of the mandibular control subtest of the MSH-PWs in distinguishing between typically developing (TD) and speech sound-disordered (SSD) children aged between 3 years 0 months and 3 years 6 months. Secondly, we compared automatically derived kinematic measures of jaw range and control with MSH-PW consensus scoring to assist in identifying deficits in mandibular control. Methods: Forty-one children with TD speech and 13 with SSD produced the 10 words of the mandibular stage of the MSH-PWs. A consensus team of speech pathologists observed video recordings of the words to score motor speech control and phonetic accuracy, as detailed in the MSH-PW scoring criteria. Specific measures of jaw and lip movements during speech were also extracted to derive the objective measurements, with agreement between the perceptual and objective measures of jaw range and jaw control evaluated. Results: A significant difference between TD and SSD groups was found for jaw range (p = 0.006), voicing transitions (p = 0.004) and total mandibular scores (p = 0.015). SSD and TD group discrimination was significant (at alpha = 0.01) with a balanced classification accuracy of 0.79. Initial analysis indicates objective kinematic measures using facial tracking show good agreement with perceptual judgements of jaw range and jaw control. Conclusions: The preliminary data indicate the MSH-PWs can discriminate TD speech from SSD at the level of mandibular control and can be used by clinicians to assess motor speech control. Further investigation of objective measures to support perceptual scoring is indicated. Full article
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