Pause Characteristics in Story Recall Tasks of Patients with Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus

초록

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of pauses through story re call tasks and identify variables that can significantly classify patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) from healthy elderly (HE) adults. Methods: A total of 26 participants were included in the study, comprising 13 NPH patients and 13 HE participants. The num ber of Information Unit (IU), the total speech length (total speech time) and speaking rate in continuous speech samples were compared between the groups, and the temporal characteristics of pauses were analyzed by categorizing their durations into intervals (0.2 seconds, 0.5 seconds, 0.7 seconds, 1-2 seconds, 4 seconds) and conceptualizing them into indicators (short pauses, medium pauses, long pauses, extended pauses, and prolonged pauses). Additionally, to examine whether the occurrence rates of each pause indicator serve as a valid measure reflecting cognitive and linguistic deficits in NPH patients, correla tions were analyzed with the K-MMSE-2 score and the total IU number. Results: The IU number in the NPH group was significantly lower than the HE group. The total speech time was significantly shorter in the NPH group compared to the HE group. However, there was no significant difference in speaking rate between the groups. Prolonged pauses (4 seconds) occurred only in the NPH group, showing a significant correlation with K-MMSE-2 scores and the IU number. Conclusion: This study is significant in that it reveals pause char acteristics in patients with NPH and suggests that temporal features in utterances may be a useful marker for screening for NPH.

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