Speech motor control following surgical treatment for oral cancer: acoustic and kinematic insights

Surgical treatment for tumours in the oral cavity often lead to problems with speech articulation. In this dissertation, we investigated the speech outcomes of speakers who received surgical treatment for oral cancer using a novel method, namely electromagnetic articulography (EMA). EMA is a method whereby small sensors are attached to the tongue, lips, and jaw to measure their movement during speech. The results described in this dissertation show that while tongue mobility decreases after surgery, speakers are able to use the lips and jaw in a compensatory manner. The identification of these compensatory articulatory strategies may be used to design evidence-based speech rehabilitation.

Dissertation: https://hdl.handle.net/11370/d8d9ba8e-09f8-4615-9353-6b794acd0557