Dysarthria

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

Dysarthria and dysphagia in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis with spinal onset: a study of quality of life related to swallowing.

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Dysarthria and dysphagia are the most common clinical problems encountered in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and may reduce the quality of life. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the association of dysarthria and dysphagia and to evaluate the impact of dysphagia on swallowing quality of life in patients with ALS with spinal onset. METHODS: Seventeen patients underwent to speech and swallowing evaluation and filled out self-report assessment of the Swallowing Quality of Life (SWAL-QOL). The dysarthria severity was graded using the Speech Subscale of ALS Severity Scale. The dysphagia severity was graded using a scale proposed by Dziweas et al., and the Functional Oral Intake Scale. RESULTS: Over 70% of the ALS patients with spinal onset had dysarthria and dysphagia. The correlation of dysarthria and dysphagia scales was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The correlation between dysarthria and dysphagia severity and SWAL-QOL outcomes was significant for the same domains: “symptom frequency”, “communication” and “fear of eating”. The SWAL-QOL domains presented a mild to moderate impact on quality of life. Disease duration did not impact on SWAL-QOL. CONCLUSIONS: Dysarthria and dysphagia were common symptoms in patients with spinal onset of ALS and the swallowing quality of life decrease was directly related to with severity of dysarthria and dysphagia.

A hereditary disorder with dementia, spastic dysarthria, vertical eye movement paresis, gait disturbance, splenomegaly, and abnormal copper metabolism.

Abstract: W In 1964 we saw two brothers with an identical neurologic disorder and laboratory evidence of abnormal copper metabolism that appeared to be distinct from Wilson’s disease or hereditary hepatolenticular degeneration (HLD) or other known hereditary disorders. (We prefer to regard the terms Wilson’s d isease a n d heredi ta ry hepa to len t icu lar degeneration [ H L D ] as being synonymous. For the nongenetic type we prefer the term “acquired hepatocerebral degeneration.”) We have had the opportunity to study one of the brothers several times. Recently symptoms developed in a third brother and our studies revealed findings comparable with those in the other two brothers. The mother, one sister, and a half brother also have been examined and are unaffected. Since this disorder appears to be an unreported hereditary disease, a description of the clinical manifestations and laboratory data are presented.