Intonation and Fluency in Emotionally Dysregulated French Patients with an Acquired Brain Injury: Case Studies
Intonation et fluence chez des patients français atteints de lésion cérébrale acquise et avec dysrégulation émotionnelle : études de cas
Résumé
Acquired brain injuries (ABI) often result in persistent emotional dysregulation. As part of a larger study, this paper explores the effectiveness of a dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) programme, a type of evidence-based psychotherapy that helps patients build emotional regulation skills. Current literature suggests that a significant proportion of disfluency, faster speech rate and large amplitudes in frequency variation may denote high emotional activation in speech. However, identifying emotional regulation remains a challenge, as dysregulation may manifest as emotional apathy in addition to extreme activation. This complicates establishing a direct link between intonation patterns and emotional dysregulation. Two ABI patients were recorded in 40-90 minutes semi-directive interviews, in which they narrated emotionally charged memories and described pictures. One patient was recorded five months prior to and immediately before beginning the therapy programme (t0-t1), and the other before and after the five-month programme (t1-t2). Our findings highlight more variation in intonation at t1 for both patients, and the patient who followed the programme decreased his speech rates over time. These may be indicators of the therapy’s effectiveness. Moreover, our results suggest that the ratio of disfluencies may not be a good indicator of emotional dysregulation in ABI patients.
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