Dysarthria

About: Dysarthria is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2402 publications have been published within this topic receiving 56554 citations.

A preliminary investigation of longitudinal changes in speech production over 18 months in young children with cerebral palsy.

Abstract: Objective: This study examined longitudinal change in speech intelligibility, vowel space, and word duration over 18 months among children with cerebral palsy (CP) who varied in the severity of their speech motor involvement. The study also examined relationships among variables at each time point. Method: Twenty-two children with CP participated in the study (mean age = 50 months at the first time point). Speech samples were collected at four time points that were 6 months apart. Children were separated into four severity groups based on intelligibility scores. Results: Change over time varied by severity. Children with CP who did not have speech motor involvement and children in the mild group showed gains in intelligibility, but no changes in vowel space area or word duration. Children in the moderate group showed no significant change, and children in the severe group showed increased vowel space and decreased word durations. Significant positive correlations between intelligibility and vowel space were noted at each time point for data pooled across all children. Conclusion: Children showed different patterns of change over time in intelligibility, vowel space, and word duration based on their speech motor abilities. The relationship between intelligibility and vowel space across severity groups was constant, suggesting a robust relationship between these variables.

Ataxia with Oculomotor Apraxia Type 1

Abstract: Clinical characteristics Ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 1 (AOA1) is characterized by childhood onset of slowly progressive cerebellar ataxia, followed by oculomotor apraxia and a severe primary motor peripheral axonal motor neuropathy The first manifestation is progressive gait imbalance (mean age of onset: 43 years; range: 2-10 years), followed by dysarthria, then upper-limb dysmetria with mild intention tremor Oculomotor apraxia, usually noticed a few years after the onset of ataxia, progresses to external ophthalmoplegia All affected individuals have generalized areflexia followed by a peripheral neuropathy and quadriplegia with loss of ambulation about seven to ten years after onset Hands and feet are short and atrophic Chorea and upper-limb dystonia are common Intellect remains normal in some individuals; in others, different degrees of cognitive impairment have been observed Diagnosis/testing The diagnosis of AOA1 is based on clinical findings (including family history) and exclusion of the diagnosis of ataxia-telangiectasia Cerebellar atrophy is visible on MRI in all affected individuals EMG reveals axonal neuropathy in 100% of individuals with AOA1 APTX is the only gene known to be associated with AOA1 Management Treatment of manifestations: May include physical therapy, particularly for disabilities resulting from peripheral neuropathy; a wheelchair for mobility, usually by age 15-20 years; educational support for difficulties with speaking, reading, and writing Prevention of secondary complications: High-protein diet to prevent edema by restoring serum albumin concentration; low-cholesterol diet Surveillance: Routine follow up with a neurologist Genetic counseling AOA1 is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner At conception, each sib of an affected individual has a 25% chance of being affected, a 50% chance of being an asymptomatic carrier, and a 25% chance of being neither affected nor a carrier Carrier testing for at-risk family members and prenatal testing for pregnancies at increased risk are possible if both pathogenic variants in a family have been identified

Accelerated speech in dysarthria after acquired brain injury: Acoustic correlates

Abstract: The present study reports on some acoustic dimensions of perceptually accelerated speech in dysarthria. Twelve dysarthric patients who were clinically judged as presenting an increased speech rate were investigated. Control groups of slowed dysarthrics (n = 12) and of normal subjects (n = 15) were also examined. The speech material consisted of chains of plosive-vowel syllables uttered in a sentence repetition task. The speech wave envelope of these sentences was evaluated with respect to characteristic temporal and amplitude patterns. Proportions of stop gaps, noise segments and segments of quasiperiodic oscillation were also determined.The patients with accelerated speech had normal or near-to-normal syllabic rates. Segmental contrast was more or less reduced, depending on the degree of severity. Concerning the proportions of voiced and voiceless segments two different types of impairment could be discerned. Possible physiological interpretations of these results and the relation between acoustic and pe...

Relationships between dysarthric groups.

Abstract: Dysarthria, the speech disorder resulting from the disturbance of neuromuscular control, can be perceptually confusing, as frequently more than one speech system is affected. However, many authorities have suggested that different characteristics of dysarthria, once identified, can assist in identifying the underlying neuropathology. The Frenchay Dysarthria Assessment, which is a simple screening test, has been found to discriminate between five types of dysarthria. It is of interest to consider the manner in which the dysarthric groups relate, as well as how they differ.

Dysarthria in individuals with Parkinson's disease: a protocol for a binational, cross-sectional, case-controlled study in French and European Portuguese (FraLusoPark).

Abstract: Introduction Individuals with Parkinson9s disease (PD) have to deal with several aspects of voice and speech decline and thus alteration of communication ability during the course of the disease. Among these communication impairments, 3 major challenges include: (1) dysarthria, consisting of orofacial motor dysfunction and dysprosody, which is linked to the neurodegenerative processes; (2) effects of the pharmacological treatment, which vary according to the disease stage; and (3) particular speech modifications that may be language-specific, that is, dependent on the language spoken by the patients. The main objective of the FraLusoPark project is to provide a thorough evaluation of changes in PD speech as a result of pharmacological treatment and disease duration in 2 different languages (French vs European Portuguese). Methods and analysis Individuals with PD are enrolled in the study in France (N=60) and Portugal (N=60). Their global motor disability and orofacial motor functions is assessed with specific clinical rating scales, without (OFF) and with (ON) pharmacological treatment. 2 groups of 60 healthy age-matched volunteers provide the reference for between-group comparisons. Along with the clinical examinations, several speech tasks are recorded to obtain acoustic and perceptual measures. Patient-reported outcome measures are used to assess the psychosocial impact of dysarthria on quality of life. Ethics and dissemination The study has been approved by the local responsible committees on human experimentation and is conducted in accordance with the ethical standards. A valuable large-scale database of speech recordings and metadata from patients with PD in France and Portugal will be constructed. Results will be disseminated in several articles in peer-reviewed journals and in conference presentations. Recommendations on how to assess speech and voice disorders in individuals with PD to monitor the progression and management of symptoms will be provided. Trial registration number NCT02753192, Pre-results.