Dysarthria

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

The epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients with young-onset genetic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Abstract: OBJECTIVES The onset of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is usually around the age of 60, but younger patients have been described as well. Our study characterizes the demographic and clinical features of young-onset CJD patients. METHODS The CJD Israeli National Database was reviewed, and the patients were divided into groups of young (<40-year-old) (Y|) and older disease onset (>40-year-old) (O). Each group was further divided into sporadic (sCJD) and genetic (gCJD) patients. Clinical and demographic parameters were compared between the groups. RESULTS The study included 731 patients (Y- 18 patients, O- 713 patients). MRI showed classical features more often in the older population (O-76.9%, Y-36%, p = 0.006). Rapidly progressive dementia as a presenting feature was more common in the older group (O = 58%, Y = 27.7%, p = 0.019) whereas cerebellar onset (gait instability, dysarthria) was more common in the younger group (O = 6.7%, Y = 27.7%, p = 0.036)). Among gCJD patients, rapidly progressive dementia was commonly seen in older patients (O = 54%, Y = 21% p = 0.008) whereas cerebellar symptoms were seen in young patients (O = 7%, Y = 30% p = 0.01) Typical MRI findings were seen in 37% of young people compared to 87% of older patients (p = 0.002). No significant differences were between young and older patients in the sCJD group. CONCLUSION Young-onset gCJD patients have unique disease features including less typical brain MRI changes, a lower prevalence of dementia, and a higher prevalence of cerebellar signs at disease onset.

A Case of Methotrexate-induced Subacute Encephalopathy that Showed no Abnormalities on Magnetic Resonance Imaging Soon After Symptom Appearance.

Abstract: A 21-year-old woman was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. After the administration of intrathecal methotrexate (MTX), the patient experienced dysarthria and paralysis for one hour. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed one hour from the onset and just before symptoms disappeared revealed no abnormalities. The next day, the symptoms appeared again, and diffusion-weighed MRI revealed a high-intensity area in the left frontal lobe. The patient was diagnosed with MTX-induced encephalopathy. This case suggested that MRI performed as soon as symptoms appear might show normal findings in MTX-induced encephalopathy.

Dysarthrophonia in Association with Voice Analysis: A Case Report

Abstract: Stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide and the brain damage caused by it can affect communication in several aspects. Voice analysis in dysarthria is challenging because of the complexity of the disorder and its effects on the speech production system. In this study we are presenting a 56-years-old male who was visited to Medanta Hospital with history of hypertension and chief complaint of Right upper limb weakness and slurred speech to the Emergency and later Clinically and Radio logically Diagnosed as LT MCA Infarct. Later, on the day 3 the patient has undergone Speech and Language Evaluation and Diagnosed with Spastic Dysarthria based on Frenched Dysarthria Assessment scale and later a detail Voice Analysis was done with using PRAAT software and analysed voice features. Voice analysis basically deals with decomposition of voice signal into voice parameters for processing the resulted features in desirable application. The features that are extracted in this paper are: frequency, pitch, voice intensity, formant, speech rate and pulse functions like Jitter (local), Jitter (local, absolute), Jitter (rap), Jitter (ppq5), Jitter (ddp), Shimmer (local), Shimmer (local, dB), Shimmer (apq3), Shimmer (apq5), Shimmer (apq11), Shimmer (dda) and Harmonic coefficients. Over all, we conclude with the voice parameters in spastic dysarthria which reveals interesting data on the voice quality with features which helps the clinician for better management. However, large sample study is required.

Variability characteristics of segment and ratio measures of timing in normal and neurogenically disordered speakers

Abstract: The variance of speech timing measures has been used by a variety of investigators as in index of speech motor control. Children tend to have larger variances than adults for segment durations as do some adult dysarthrics compared to neurologically intact adults. The implication is that the larger variances reflect functional immaturity and deficits in the speech mechanisms of children and neurogenically involved adults, respectively. The present report deals with variance characteristics of segment and ratio measures of timing in normal and dysarthric speakers. Two interesting results are (1) fast speaking rate increases the variability of temporal ratios in all normal subjects, and in some dysarthric subjects, and (2) increased utterance length is associated with increased timing variability in spastic dysarthrics. These results are discussed relative to organizational and biomechanical differences between conversational and fast speaking rates, and as they may apply to models of dysarthria. [Work suppo...

Management of dysarthria associated with Parkinson's disease: a speech and language therapist perspective

Abstract: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition characterised by motor and non-motor symptoms. Speech and language intervention has been shown to be the most effective therapeutic method for improving voice and speech function in PD. This article provides an overview of symptoms of hypokinetic dysarthria associated with PD and speech and language therapy interventions for treating hypokinetic dysarthria.