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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.
Sec. Biosensors and Biomolecular Electronics
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2025.1543259
This article is part of the Research Topic Biomedical Sensing in Assistive Devices View all 7 articles
Design of a Personalized Oral-Motor Exercise Device for Speech Impairment Rehabilitation
Provisionally accepted- 1 Dong Seoul University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
- 2 Daegu University, Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang, Republic of Korea
- 3 Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, North Gyeongsang, Republic of Korea
Dysarthria, a speech disorder characterized by impaired muscle control attributed to lesions in the articulatory system, requires targeted rehabilitation exercises to strengthen affected muscles. However, existing rehabilitation devices often struggle to accurately assess exercise execution, limiting their effectiveness. This study introduces an innovative oral–motor rehabilitation device designed to address these limitations. The designed device incorporates flexible sensors and a signal processing module to provide real-time feedback on training intensity. Integrated with a mobile application, the device allows users to monitor their tongue's range of motion and track progress through a calibration process enhanced by a simple moving average (SMA) filter. Before testing on vulnerable patient groups, we conducted a preliminary study with healthy subjects (five adult males) to verify the basic operational characteristics of the proposed device. In addition, the device's effectiveness in improving muscle function and helping regulate training intensity was evaluated using the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument, demonstrating promising results in enhancing articulation and oral–motor skills. By addressing current gaps in dysarthria rehabilitation, the proposed device offers a comprehensive and personalized approach to oral–motor therapy.
Keywords: Dysarthria rehabilitation, oral-motor exercise, self-calibration, Speech Therapy, Tongue movement
Received: 11 Dec 2024; Accepted: 12 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Woo, Ha and Na. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Sungdae Na, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, North Gyeongsang, Republic of Korea
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