Dysarthria

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

Communication aids in patients with motor neurone disease.

Abstract: The study aimed at determining the main factors responsible for the speech and communication problems in motor neurone disease to try to assess the suitability of commercially available aids. Sixteen patients suffering from motor neurone disease with communication problems had their speech assessed by using the Frenchay dysarthria assessment. It was found essential to offer a choice of aids to the patient since suitability of a particular aid could not be evaluated without the patient practising with it.

The Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Dysarthria in Stroke Patients

Abstract: Objective: To investigate whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can improve dysarthria in stroke patients. Method: Twelve patients who developed dysarthria after acute middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction were included in this study. In a prospective, double blinded, randomized case control study performed between January 2007 and December 2008, six patients were randomized to anodal tDCS application and conventional speech therapy, and six patients were randomized to the sham group which received only conventional speech therapy. tDCS was delivered for 30 minutes at 2 mA with 25cm2, five times/week, for a total two weeks. The effects were assessed in maximal phonation time (MPT), alternative motion rates (AMR)-Pa, AMR-Ta, AMR-Ka, and sequential motion rates (SMR)-PaTaKa using the Multi-Media Dimension Voice Program. Results: Pre-treatment patient evaluation showed no significant difference between the two groups for all parameters. The MPT, AMR-Pa, AMR-Ta, AMR-Ka, and SMR-PaTaKa were improved pre- and post-treatment in the stimulation group, while MPT, SMR-PaTaKa were improved in the sham group (p

Interlabial Contact Pressures Exhibited in Dysarthria following Traumatic Brain Injury during Speech and Nonspeech Tasks

Abstract: A miniature pressure transducer was used to assess the interlabial contact pressures produced by a group of 19 adults (mean age 30.6 years) with dysarthria following severe traumatic brain injury (TBI

Effect of speech rate manipulations on articulatory dynamics in severe traumatic brain injury: An EMA and EPG study

Abstract: Background Manipulation of speech rate forms an integral part of the treatment of dysarthria and the effects of changes in speech rate on articulatory dynamics in persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI) is poorly documented. Objective To determine the effects of manipulations of speech rate (habitual vs fast) on lingual kinematics and tongue-to-palate contacts in adult speakers with severe TBI and matched normal controls. Materials and methods Six adults with severe TBI and five matched non-neurologically impaired controls underwent testing of their articulatory function using electromagnetic articulography (EMA) and electropalatography (EPG). Results The results demonstrated that the TBI and control groups selected different strategies for increasing speech rate, with the TBI group showing an increase in articulatory effort estimated from an increase in maximum velocity and maximum acceleration/deceleration of tongue movement when speaking at the fast rate. The control group demonstrated no effects of a fast speech rate on articulatory kinematics for sentence productions. Conclusions When speaking at a fast rate, individuals with severe TBI appear to use greater articulatory effort, possibly to preserve the distinctiveness of phonetic segments in order to avoid articulatory undershoot. In contrast, control subjects show a greater economy of effort when speaking at a fast rate, possibly to preserve articulatory precision.

Intelligibility, Articulation Rate, Fluency, and Communicative Efficiency in Typically Developing Children

Abstract: Purpose This article describes the developmental trajectories of four communication-related parameters (i.e., intelligibility, articulation rate, fluency, and communicative efficiency) in a cross-sectional study of typically developing children between 3 and 9 years. The four target parameters were related to auditory-perceptual parameters of speech function. Method One hundred forty-four typically developing children (ages 3;0-9;11 [years;months]; 72 girls and 72 boys) participated. Speech samples were collected using the materials of the Bogenhausen Dysarthria Scales for Childhood Dysarthria, a German assessment tool for childhood dysarthria, and analyzed following established auditory-perceptual criteria on relevant speech functions. To assess intelligibility, naive listeners transcribed sentences repeated by the children. Articulation rate and fluency were measured by acoustic analyses; communicative efficiency was determined by multiplying the proportion of correctly transcribed syllables by speech rate. Results Intelligibility showed a steep developmental trajectory, with the majority of children obtaining a proportion of intelligible syllables close to 1.0 at the age of 5 years. Articulation rate demonstrated a flatter trajectory, with high variability still within the older children. Disfluencies, on the contrary, occurred only in the youngest children. By definition, communicative efficiency shared the characteristics of intelligibility and rate curves. A principal component analysis revealed, among other findings, strong connections between intelligibility and articulation, as well as between communicative efficiency, articulation, and rate measures. Conclusions While children speak intelligibly, in terms of the applied assessment, at a comparably young age, other communication-relevant parameters show a slower developmental progress. Knowledge on the typical development of communication-related parameters and on their complex relationships with functional speech variables is crucial for the clinical assessment of childhood dysarthria. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.14880285.