Imaging applications in speech production research

The primary focus of speech production research is directed towards obtaining improved understanding and quantitative characterization of the articulatory dynamics, acoustics, and cognition of both normal and pathological human speech. Such efforts are, however, frequently challenged by the lack of appropriate physical and physiological data. A great deal of attention is, hence, given to the development of novel measurement/instrumentation techniques which are desirably non invasive, safe, and do not interfere with normal speech production. Several imaging techniques have been successfully employed for studying speech production. In the first part of this paper, an overview of the various imaging techniques used in speech research such as x-rays, ultrasound, structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging, glossometry, palatography, video fibroscopy and imaging is presented. In the second part of the paper, we describe the results of our efforts to understand and model speech production mechanisms of vowels, fricatives, and lateral and rhotic consonants based on MFtI data.