A variety of tools and techniques have been developed to measure the movements of the vocal tract, specifically of the tongue and lips. In recent years, computer technology has allowed for extensive exploration of these precise movements and for the development of speech recognition systems. However, there has been relatively little work on the combination of visible facial movements and internal articulatory activity. In this study, two different technologies were used to explore the internal and external movements of speech production in eight speakers: palatometry quantified tongue contact patterns and computerized video image analysis was used to derive lip shape parameters. Results showed that the lip measures used here cannot predict the identity of phonemes in all speakers as well as the tongue contact patterns can. Results also indicated that the data from lip measures were strongly influenced by who the speaker was, whereas the palatometric data were not. These results suggest that more variation exists in lip shape than in tongue contact patterns during speech production. Understanding more about lip measures and vocal tract movement during speech production may potentially benefit the area of speechreading; however, more research is needed to refine the procedures used.

No transtorno fonológico podem ocorrer concomitantemente alterações fonéticas e fonológicas, que comprometem a articulação e o conhecimento internalizado do sistema de sons da língua. As alterações fonéticas podem acontecer também em crianças com desenvolvimento típico de linguagem. Várias pesquisas têm mostrado a importância de se utilizar técnicas objetivas durante o diagnóstico bem como da aplicação de índices de gravidade. O objetivo desta pesquisa é identificar a ocorrência de distorções de fala e aplicar e comparar os índices de gravidade em crianças entre cinco e sete anos de idade com e sem transtorno fonológico. Para isso, foram avaliadas 30 crianças com desenvolvimento típico de linguagem (GSTF) e 15 crianças com transtorno fonológico (GTF). Foram aplicadas provas experimentais de fonologia, fala espontânea e avaliação da motricidade orofacial e calculados os índices PCC, PCC-R, PDI, RDI e ACI nas provas de fonologia e fala espontânea. Se detectada qualquer tipo de distorção em quaisquer umas das provas de fonologia nos sons [s], [z], [?], [?], [l], [?] e [?] era aplicada a prova para verificação específica de distorção, além da palatografia e linguografia.Os resultados apontaram que no GSTF, 23,3% das crianças apresentou distorção nas provas de fonologia e fala espontânea nos sons [s], [z], [?] e [l]; no GFT 20% das crianças apresentou distorção nas provas de fonologia e fala espontânea nos sons [s], [z] e [?]; não houve evidências de diferença significativa entre o número de sujeitos que apresentaram distorção no GSTF e GTF. Houve diferença significante apenas nas provas de imitação e fala espontânea na faixa etária de sete anos, com maior ocorrência de distorção do [s] no grupo GTF do que no GSTF. Apenas o GTF apresentou distorção no [?], parece que a distorção deste som está mais relacionada ao transtorno fonológico. A análise da palatografia confirmou a análise perceptiva, oferecendo a vantagem de mostrar o local exato da produção. No GSTF e no GTF, os sujeitos que não apresentaram distorção obtiveram todos os índices melhores do que os sujeitos com distorção. O índice ACI indicou que o GSTF sem distorção teve o melhor desempenho, mostrando-se adequado para medir a competência articulatória . / Phonological and phonetic alterations can occur together in the phonological disorder compromising the articulation and the internal knowledge of the speech sounds of a language. Phonetic alterations can occur in children with typical phonological development. Several researches have shown the importance of the use of objective techniques during both the diagnosis of disorder and application of severity indexes. The aim of this research is to identify the occurrence of distortions in the speech. Also, to apply and compare severity indexes in children between five and seven years old with and without phonological disorders. 30 children with typical language development (GSTF) and 15 phonologically-disordered children (GTF) were assessed. Experimental test of Phonology (nomeation, imitation and continuous speech) and the oral motricity were applied. The PCC, PPC-R, PDI, RDI and ACI indexes were calculated based on Phonology tests. If any kind of distortion as detected in any Phonology test related to the sounds [s], [z], [?], [?], [l], [?] and [?], the specific test to verify distortion was used, for confirmation and perceptual classification of kind distortion, besides the palatography and tongue graph. The results pointed that in the GSTF, 23,3% of the children presented distortion in the Phonology tests and continuous speech in the [s], [z] and [?] sounds; there was no evidence of statistic differences between number of subjects that presented distortion in the GSTF and in the GTF. There was significant difference only in the imitation and continuous speech tests in the age range of seven years, with more occurrence of [s] distortion in the GTF compared to the GSTF. Only the GTF presented [] distortions. It seems that this distortion is more related to the phonological disorder. The palatography and the tongue graph confirmed the perceptive analysis, offering the advantage of showing the exact place of production. All subjects from the GSTF and GTF that did not present distortions had better severity indexes compared to the subjects that presented it. The ACI index indicated that the GSTF without distortion had better performance, showing that it is adequate to measure articulatory competence.

No transtorno fonológico podem ocorrer concomitantemente alterações fonéticas e fonológicas, que comprometem a articulação e o conhecimento internalizado do sistema de sons da língua. As alterações fonéticas podem acontecer também em crianças com desenvolvimento típico de linguagem. Várias pesquisas têm mostrado a importância de se utilizar técnicas objetivas durante o diagnóstico bem como da aplicação de índices de gravidade. O objetivo desta pesquisa é identificar a ocorrência de distorções de fala e aplicar e comparar os índices de gravidade em crianças entre cinco e sete anos de idade com e sem transtorno fonológico. Para isso, foram avaliadas 30 crianças com desenvolvimento típico de linguagem (GSTF) e 15 crianças com transtorno fonológico (GTF). Foram aplicadas provas experimentais de fonologia, fala espontânea e avaliação da motricidade orofacial e calculados os índices PCC, PCC-R, PDI, RDI e ACI nas provas de fonologia e fala espontânea. Se detectada qualquer tipo de distorção em quaisquer umas das provas de fonologia nos sons [s], [z], [?], [?], [l], [?] e [?] era aplicada a prova para verificação específica de distorção, além da palatografia e linguografia.Os resultados apontaram que no GSTF, 23,3% das crianças apresentou distorção nas provas de fonologia e fala espontânea nos sons [s], [z], [?] e [l]; no GFT 20% das crianças apresentou distorção nas provas de fonologia e fala espontânea nos sons [s], [z] e [?]; não houve evidências de diferença significativa entre o número de sujeitos que apresentaram distorção no GSTF e GTF. Houve diferença significante apenas nas provas de imitação e fala espontânea na faixa etária de sete anos, com maior ocorrência de distorção do [s] no grupo GTF do que no GSTF. Apenas o GTF apresentou distorção no [?], parece que a distorção deste som está mais relacionada ao transtorno fonológico. A análise da palatografia confirmou a análise perceptiva, oferecendo a vantagem de mostrar o local exato da produção. No GSTF e no GTF, os sujeitos que não apresentaram distorção obtiveram todos os índices melhores do que os sujeitos com distorção. O índice ACI indicou que o GSTF sem distorção teve o melhor desempenho, mostrando-se adequado para medir a competência articulatória . / Phonological and phonetic alterations can occur together in the phonological disorder compromising the articulation and the internal knowledge of the speech sounds of a language. Phonetic alterations can occur in children with typical phonological development. Several researches have shown the importance of the use of objective techniques during both the diagnosis of disorder and application of severity indexes. The aim of this research is to identify the occurrence of distortions in the speech. Also, to apply and compare severity indexes in children between five and seven years old with and without phonological disorders. 30 children with typical language development (GSTF) and 15 phonologically-disordered children (GTF) were assessed. Experimental test of Phonology (nomeation, imitation and continuous speech) and the oral motricity were applied. The PCC, PPC-R, PDI, RDI and ACI indexes were calculated based on Phonology tests. If any kind of distortion as detected in any Phonology test related to the sounds [s], [z], [?], [?], [l], [?] and [?], the specific test to verify distortion was used, for confirmation and perceptual classification of kind distortion, besides the palatography and tongue graph. The results pointed that in the GSTF, 23,3% of the children presented distortion in the Phonology tests and continuous speech in the [s], [z] and [?] sounds; there was no evidence of statistic differences between number of subjects that presented distortion in the GSTF and in the GTF. There was significant difference only in the imitation and continuous speech tests in the age range of seven years, with more occurrence of [s] distortion in the GTF compared to the GSTF. Only the GTF presented [] distortions. It seems that this distortion is more related to the phonological disorder. The palatography and the tongue graph confirmed the perceptive analysis, offering the advantage of showing the exact place of production. All subjects from the GSTF and GTF that did not present distortions had better severity indexes compared to the subjects that presented it. The ACI index indicated that the GSTF without distortion had better performance, showing that it is adequate to measure articulatory competence.

L'objectif de cette thèse est l'étude des interactions mécaniques entre la langue et le palais dans la production de parole et la déglutition. Cette interaction est cruciale car elle détermine la morphologie de la langue et son évolution dans le temps avant et après les contacts. Elle ne peut cependant pas être étudiée avec des approches cinématiques conventionnelles, car l'amplitude des mouvements est trop faible. La première partie de la thèse est consacrée à la conception d'un dispositif expérimental permettant de mesurer ces interactions sans perturber l'appareil vocal. La première particularité est que le dispositif est utilisé sur des patients édentés appareillés. Nous utilisons un duplicata de la prothèse complète maxillaire pour insérer des capteurs miniatures à jauges de contrainte dont les caractéristiques de réponse sont optimisées et qui permettent de mesurer la pression mécanique exercée par la langue sur le palais. La seconde particularité est qu’il existe une procédure d'étalonnage, associée aux capteurs, qui utilise une Colonne d’Eau Sèche. Elle applique une pression sur le capteur via une membrane en latex déformable, capable de simuler le comportement visco-élastique de la langue sur le palais. La deuxième partie de la thèse décrit le protocole de recherche clinique visant à (1) caractériser l'interaction langue-palais au cours de la prononciation et de la déglutition normales sur des individus édentés que nous considérons adaptés à leur prothèse complète (Cohorte 1), (2) observer l'adaptation dans une étude longitudinale des patients édentés nouvellement appareillés (Cohorte 2). Ce projet comprend, pour les deux cohortes, la description des objectifs, le protocole expérimental, la description fine des paramètres pertinents et la méthode statistique de traitement des données. Toutefois, le processus de rédaction et de soumission de ce protocole à un Comité de Protection des Personnes (CPP) a été plus long que prévu et l’étude clinique n’a pu être menée dans le cadre de cette thèse. C’est pourquoi, dans la troisième partie de la thèse, nous avons utilisé les données enregistrées dans l’étude de faisabilité, auprès d'un adulte édenté francophone. Les résultats montrent que notre dispositif permet d'explorer des hypothèses théoriques cruciales dans la parole comme l'existence de cibles virtuelles au-dessus du palais ou le rôle du palais dans la mise en forme du conduit aérien des consonnes fricatives. Les résultats des données enregistrées lors de la déglutition sont moins clairs, mais l'enchaînement temporel précis des contacts peut être décrit, ce qui permet de préciser comment les mouvements ondulatoires de la langue pendant la phase orale de la déglutition exploitent les contacts avec le palais. Les retombées cliniques de cette thèse permettent une meilleure connaissance du rôle fonctionnel des prothèses complètes et d’envisager la conception de prothèses qui seraient adaptées aux spécificités de chaque patient, notamment pour la rééducation des sujets traités chirurgicalement après des cancers de la langue, dans le cadre des taches de production de parole et de déglutition / The aim of the thesis is the study of the mechanical interaction between tongue and palate in speech production and swallowing. This interaction is crucial since it determines the shape of the tongue and its time evolution before and after contacts occur. Yet it cannot be studied with conventional kinematic approaches, since magnitude of movements is too small. The first part of the thesis was devoted to the design of an experimental setup to measure this interaction without perturbing the vocal tract. The first specificity is that the setup is used on subjects who are edentulous and wear a complete denture. We use a duplicate of the complete denture to insert miniature strain gauge sensors with enhanced response characteristics, that enable the measure of the mechanical pressure exerted by the tongue in different locations of the palate, without altering the shape of the palatal arch. The second specificity is that the calibration procedure uses a Dried Water Column (DWC) that applies pressure on the sensor via a deformable latex membrane, that simulates the way tongue touches the palate. The second part of the thesis enabled the design of an experimental protocol aiming at (1) providing a characterization of the tongue-palate interaction in normal speech production and swallowing based on edentulous subjects whom we consider to have adapted to their complete denture (cohort 1), (2) observing the adaptation process in a longitudinal study of edentulous subjects who are new users of complete denture (cohort 2). This work includes for two cohorts the design of the subject inclusion criteria, the motor tasks and the statistical method for the data analysis. However, unforeseen long delays were faced in the application process for the ethical approval and no data were collected in this context. Hence the third part of the thesis used data recorded in our most recent pilot study, with a French speaking edentulous adult. It is shown that our setup makes possible to tackle crucial theoretical questions in speech production such as the existence of virtual targets above the palate in stops or the role of the palate in the air channel shaping in fricatives. Results of swallowing tasks are less clear, but it is shown that precise time sequencing of contacts can be described, making possible the specification of how the ondulatory movements of the tongue in the oral phase of swallowing takes advantage of palatal contacts. In conclusion implications of this thesis are presented for a functional assessment of complete dentures, and the design of dentures that would be adapted to each subject’s specificities