Mouth Matters: Scientific and Clinical Applications of Speech Movement Analysis

New techniques for recording and analyzing speech movements have the potential to radically change existing approaches to speech assessment and management. Advances in motion capture hardware and software are now enabling a critical mass of researchers to comprehensively investigate speech motor performance in healthy and disordered populations. Although this technology is currently almost exclusively used for research, promising clinical applications are now emerging. In this paper, I briefly discuss the technological progression of current technologies used to record speech movements. I also highlight research in the Speech and Feeding Disorders Lab that is exploring ways to leverage this technology to assist with the assessment and management of motor speech disorders.