Sounding out the tongue:  Using Ultrasound to image tongue motion

The tongue is an almost impossible structure to measure directly because of its location in the oral cavity.  Moreover, transducers placed in the mouth measure only part of the tongue motion, such as EPG, which only measures tongue palate contact, or EMMA which only measures selected points on the midsagittal oral tongue.  Imaging techniques, while still 2D can be collected in multiple planes, allowing 3D reconstruction, and provide tissue slices that visualize almost the entire tongue surface. This talk will discuss the application of ultrasound to the measurement of tongue motion.  Ultrasound has been used for many years and has recently increased in popularity due to reduced costs and improved images.  In addition to methodology, strengths and limitations, several studies of speech errors will be presented as examples of the application.