Dysarthria

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

Time of cooing appearance and further development of speech in children with cerebral palsy.

Abstract: PURPOSE The aim of the study was to determine the significance of the time of cooing appearance for further development of speech in children with infantile cerebral palsy (CP). MATERIAL AND METHODS The study was performed on a group of 46 children with the pyramidal form of CP, aged 3-16 years, treated in The Department of Pediatric Neurology and Rehabilitation, Medical University of Bialystok. It included a logopaedic assessment and a history of speech development obtained from mothers. RESULTS Speech development in CP children varied according to the time of cooing appearance. Particular difficulties were observed in children with delayed cooing, who usually said their first words between 2 and 5 years of age, sentences between 3 and 5 years or even later (8 or 11 years of age); 35% of these children did not use sentences at all. Moderate and severe dysarthria, limited lexical and grammatical development and problems with speech understanding of varied degree were observed. CONCLUSIONS Delayed cooing in CP is an important prognostic sign of further speech retardation and indicates the necessity of early logopaedic rehabilitation.

Measuring quality of life in the speaker with dysarthria: reliability and validity of the european portuguese version of the QoL-DyS

Abstract: Background The impact of acquired dysarthria on the person's life and social participation is well recognized and is the key to the process of rehabilitation. Evaluation of the effectiveness of an intervention that addresses this impact is a challenge for clinicians and researchers. Objectives The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the European Portuguese version of the Quality of Life in the Speaker with Dysarthria (QoL-DyS). Methods This research was conducted in three phases: (i) cultural and linguistic adaptation; (ii) feasibility and reliability; and (iii) validity. The sample was composed of 105 subjects with dysarthria and 103 healthy subjects. The QAD (Quick Assessment for Dysarthria), PEAT10 (Portuguese Eating Assessment Tool), and EQ-5D (EuroQol five-dimension scale) were used for validity and reliability. Results and conclusion The QoL-DyS correlated positively with the QAD, PEAT-10, and EQ5D. Cronbach's α was 0.973, and it remained excellent when any item was deleted. The QoL-DyS score mean difference between the non-dysarthric cohort and the dysarthric cohort was also significant. Confirmatory factor analysis did not validate the original 40-item scale but a 33-item scale maintaining the four domains of the original version. A significantly higher perception of QoL was found in the non-dysarthric group. The results indicate that the European Portuguese version of the QoL-DyS is a reliable and valid tool to assess QoL in patients with dysarthria and may be used for screening in clinical practice and in research.

Single Word Intelligibility of Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease in Noise: Pre-Specified Secondary Outcome Variables from a Randomized Control Trial (RCT) Comparing Two Intensive Speech Treatments (LSVT LOUD vs. LSVT ARTIC)

Abstract: The majority of people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) experience both prosodic changes (reduced vocal volume, reduced pitch range) and articulatory changes (imprecise articulation) that often limit speech intelligibility and may contribute to significant declines in quality of life. We conducted a randomized control trial comparing two intensive treatments, voice (LSVT LOUD) or articulation (LSVT ARTIC) to assess single word intelligibility in the presence of background noise (babble and mall). Participants (64 PD and 20 Healthy) read words from the diagnostic rhyme test (DRT), an ANSI Standard for measuring intelligibility of speech, before and after one month (treatment or no treatment). Teams of trained listeners blindly rated the data. Speech intelligibility of words in the presence of both noise conditions improved in PD participants who had LSVT LOUD compared to the groups that had LSVT ARTIC or no treatment. Intensive speech treatment targeting prominent prosodic variables in LSVT LOUD had a positive effect on speech intelligibility at the single word level in PD.

Comparative Evaluation of Several Pitch Process Models in the Detection of Vocal Tremor

Abstract: Three models describing the speech excitation wave (denoted as pitch process) are suggested in order to detect vocal tremor in pathological speech. These models are compared, and the advantages and disadvantages of each of them are discussed. Comparison results for synthesized speech are presented, as well as spectral analysis results for real data of Parkinsonian speech, from which it turns out that the pitch process may serve as a powerful tool for detecting such tremor.

EPG treatment of a child with the Worster-Drought syndrome

Abstract: This report of a case study of an unusual child aims to set the use of electropalatography (EPG) within the wider context of general communication therapy. It concerns a child of 12 years, diagnosed as having congenital suprabulbar paresis (Worster-Drought syndrome) who presents with severe developmental dysarthria; his speech is unintelligible, with hypernasality and glottalised articulation. His baseline EPG assessment patterns show minimal tongue-to-palate contact for all lingual obstruents, although he can demonstrate some tongue movement for non-speech skills, and has a slow but near normal swallow pattern. EPG therapy was used for tongue movements, but was adversely affected by his velopharyngeal insufficiency.