| dc.description.abstract | As the attention on the language therapy increased in Taiwan in recent years, the growth of patients discovered with language disorder leads to lack of language therapists. For traditional treatment of speech disorder, speech therapists need to assess and treat patients with communication disorder individually. Such personalized therapy process is inefficient for massive patients waiting for their next rehabilitation appointments. In addition, this treatment performance is ineffective since lack of language therapists. Therefore, we proposed a serious game for rehabilitation on voice intensity and pitch. We hoped patients would not only improve the dysarthria and decay of volume but also be motivated for speech rehabilitation by playing the game. The system recorded a short speech signal from human and calculated its volume (in decibel, dB) and fundamental frequency (in Hertz, Hz) immediately. These two parameters were used to control the animated character and provide visual feedbacks for patients. In order to assess the effectiveness of this game system, we collaborated with a speech therapist of the Taoyuan General Hospital. Eleven subjects including five patients with voice disorder and six normal subjects were involved in the clinical study to see if there were any differences in between. Experiments were carried out for three weeks (one day per week and six times per day with a total time of 30 minutes). Each experiment included 4 pitch and 2 volume games.
Besides the experiment of our system (A system), we did the experiment of the game system (B system) for voice disorder from previous study of our laboratory. At the end of the experiments, subjects were presented with a questionnaire which included 11 items aiming at evaluating various aspects of the training experience. After finishing all the experiments, the speech performance of patients was assessed by comparing the results of the first and last experiments. Next, we would like to see the difference between the results of A system and B system. To examine the difference between normal subjects and patients, we analyzed the results of the first and last experiments with the T test and calculated the p value. The results of A system were found that the average frequency range of patients was increased by 103Hz and the average of volume was increased by 12dB. The p value of frequency range is 0.025 and the p value of the volume is 0.023, hence there were significant differences. The results of B system were found that the average frequency range of patients was increased by 68Hz and the average of volume was increased by 16dB. The p value of frequency range is 0.005 and the p value of the volume is 0.01, hence there were significant differences. The results of A system and B system showed the average frequency range and volume of normal subjects for normal subjects were not significant changed in the last experiment. In voice intensity treatment, the effectiveness of B system was better than the effectiveness of A system. We surmised the probable causes including
personal error, the lack of sample size and the difference of the game type between two systems. In pitch treatment, the effectiveness of A system was better than the effectiveness of B system. We inferred that the probable reason was the difference of the animation trigger between two systems. The superior frequency range and volume of patients after practices were similar to the results of other research in the literature. It has proved the benefits of this game system for speech therapy. In addition, the feedback of questionnaire showed the subjects were all confident in the system that we presented. | en_US |