Utilization of Speech Analysis as a Diagnostic Tool to Objectively Evaluate Early Signs of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Pilot Study

Concussions affect cognitive and fine muscle motor control, and these changes will be reflected in the acoustic characteristics of the vowels being produced. The methods to identify and analyze the acoustics of vowels will greatly extend the detailed understanding of vowels produced after a concussion. The identification of the changes in formant frequencies, pitch, and duration will provide the means to use these parameters as an automated diagnostic tool. The waveform assessment of the athlete's speech production has a high probability of showing brain abnormalities immediately after a suspected or diagnosed concussion at the venue of the athletic sport. The aim of this study assessment is to investigate this possibility using the Cobweb system and greatly enhance the ability to diagnose a concussion in a timely manner to remove the athlete from practice or play.