Dysarthria

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

Spastic dysarthria after acquired brain injury: An acoustic study

Abstract: CVC syllables, sustained fricatives and rapid diphthong repetitions were examined in ten patients with spastic dysarthria following closed head trauma and cerebro-vascular accident. Speech samples were evaluated hy acoustic-signal processing. The data obtained/or segment durations, vowel quality, and plosive realisations revealed a disproportionate impairment in gross movements of the tongue back as compared to the tongue blade. In the milder cases target configurations could often be realised to an acoustically normal extent, yet at the expense of production time. This and the abnormalities in diphthong repetitions suggested that the faculty of accelerating the moving structures was limited in the observed spastic dysarthrics. Control of fine forces, however, was not generally impaired.

The integrated use of maximum performance tasks in differential diagnostic evaluations among children with motor speech disorders

Abstract: Maximum performance tasks (MPT) were employed to quantify the speech motor capacities of children with dysarthria and developmental apraxia of speech. Specifically, several MPT (i.e. vowel prolongation, fricative prolongation, maximum syllable repetition rate) were conducted among nine carefully selected children with spastic dysarthria, 11 children with developmental apraxia of speech (DAS), and 11 age–matched normal-speaking children. The results indicated that children with spastic dysarthria can be differentiated from both DAS and normal-speaking subjects on only two of the MPT (i.e. monosyllabic repetition rate and vowel prolongation). Children with developmental apraxia of speech, furthermore, differed from the normal-speaking children on fricative prolongation and trisyllabic repetition rate, as well as on measures of trisyllabic repetitive performances (i.e. number of sequencing errors and number of attempts). The findings underscored the clinical importance of MPT for differential diagnosis, and ...

Living with acquired dysarthria: the speaker's perspective.

Abstract: Purpose. To explore the speaker's experience of living with acquired chronic dysarthria.Method. Ten people with dysarthria and progressive neurological illness and one person with dysarthria following stroke were interviewed in depth about their experience of living with dysarthria. They covered a range of ages, time post-onset and dysarthria severity levels. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using Framework Method of Analysis.Results. Acquired dysarthria can negatively impact on speakers' lives. Findings here suggest that the experience of living with dysarthria is highly individual. There were some common perspectives. Six key themes emerged from interviews: ‘dysarthria as only part of the picture’, ‘communication has changed’, ‘people treat me differently’, ‘dysarthria resulting in negative emotions’, ‘barriers to communication’ and ‘life is different now. The impact of co-existing physical disability and the need to consider dysarthria in context was emphasised by all participants.Conclusion. F...

Effects of subthalamic nucleus stimulation on parkinsonian dysarthria and speech intelligibility

Abstract: Subthalamic stimulation is known to improve tremor, akinesia and rigidity in Parkinson's disease. However, other signs such as hypophonia and swallowing disorders can be relatively resistant to this technique. The effect on dysarthria remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of implantation of electrode and stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) on parkinsonian dysarthria. Seven patients were prospectively included. Electrodes (Medtronic) were implanted in both STN. The electrode contacts and stimulation parameters were adjusted to provide best relief of symptoms with fewest side effects. Assessment used global scales (Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale, UPDRS II and III), dyskinesia scale, exhaustive dysarthria assessment (bucco-facial movements, voice, articulation, intelligibility) and the 'dysarthria' item from the UPDRS III. Evaluations were performed in six conditions: before and three months after surgery (pre-op, post-op) stimulation turned off or on (off-stim, onstim), and without or with a suprathreshold levodopa dose (offdrug, on-drug). Performance level on the UPDRS III significantly improved following electrode implantation and stimulation. For dysarthria, modest beneficial effects were observed on several motor parameters, especially lip movements. Voice mildly improved, especially for the modulation in loudness and pitch. Articulation was not affected. Furthermore, intelligibility was slightly reduced in the on-stimulation condition, especially when patients received levodopa. At an individual level, negative effects on intelligibility were observed in two patients, and this was associated with a discrete increase in facial and trunk dyskinesias, but not with the electrode position or stimulation parameters. In conclusion, surgery had weak effects on dysarthria. Intelligibility can be worsened, especially in the on-drug condition. Thus, adaptation of the stimulation parameters can be difficult.

Effects of intensive voice treatment (the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment [LSVT]) on ataxic dysarthria: a case study.

Abstract: This study examined the effects of intensive voice treatment (the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment [LSVT®]) on ataxic dysarthria in a woman with cerebellar dysfunction secondary to thiamine deficiency...