Speech Therapist

About: Speech Therapist is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 447 publications have been published within this topic receiving 2537 citations.

Cleft Palate Speech Management: A Multidisciplinary Approach

Abstract: This text provides a multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of patients with a cleft palate, placing emphasis on speech therapy. It covers the role of the speech therapist on the cleft palate team, which is to diagnose and treat the speech disorder associated with cleft lip and palate.

Facial-muscle weakness, speech disorders and dysphagia are common in patients with classic infantile Pompe disease treated with enzyme therapy

Abstract: Classic infantile Pompe disease is an inherited generalized glycogen storage disorder caused by deficiency of lysosomal acid α-glucosidase. If left untreated, patients die before one year of age. Although enzyme-replacement therapy (ERT) has significantly prolonged lifespan, it has also revealed new aspects of the disease. For up to 11 years, we investigated the frequency and consequences of facial- muscle weakness, speech disorders and dysphagia in long- term survivors. Sequential photographs were used to determine the timing and severity of facial-muscle weak- ness. Using standardized articulation tests and fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing, we investigated speech and swallowing function in a subset of patients. This study included 11 patients with classic infantile Pompe disease. Median age at the start of ERT was 2.4 months (range 0.1-8.3 months), and median age at the end of the study was 4.3 years (range 7.7 months �12.2 years). All patients developed facial-muscle weakness before the age of 15 months. Speech was studied in four patients. Articulation was disordered, with hypernasal resonance and reduced speech intelligibility in all four. Swallowing function was studied in six patients, the most important findings being ineffective swallowing with residues of food (5/6), penetration or aspiration (3/6), and reduced pharyn- geal and/or laryngeal sensibility (2/6). We conclude that facial-muscle weakness, speech disorders and dysphagia are common in long-term survivors receiving ERT for classic infantile Pompe disease. To improve speech and reduce the risk for aspiration, early treatment by a speech therapist and regular swallowing assessments are recommended.

Voice and choral singing treatment: a new approach for speech and voice disorders in Parkinson's disease.

Abstract: AIM The aim of this study was to propose a new voice rehabilitation program for Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients based on voice and choral singing treatment (VCST). METHODS The authors carried out a pilot test-retest non-controlled study with twenty PD patients that voluntarily took part to the speech rehabilitation treatment. Patients underwent 20 hours of speech therapy, two sessions of one hour every week, and 26 hours of choral singing, one session of two hours every week. The speech and choral activity were directed by a speech therapist expert in PD and choral singing. The pre- and post-treatment assessment included neurological and otolaryngological evaluation, voice and speech acoustic analysis, auditory quality of voice analysis, respiratory function evaluation, that were carried out within two weeks before and after VCST. RESULTS The authors observed a significant improvement (P<0.05) of functional residual capacity (FRC%), maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP), maximum expiratory pressure (MEP), maximum duration of sustained vowel phonation (MDPh), prosodia reading a passage, using paired t-test; and of fatigue reading a passage using Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test. No significant difference was found in the other variables. CONCLUSION VCST for PD patients can improve specific abnormalities with an amusing, agreeable, and collective approach, but a randomized controlled trial (RCT) is necessary to find evidence of efficacy.

Speech therapy in patients with excessive supragastric belching – a pilot study

Abstract: In patients whose main symptom is excessive belching, supragastric belching appears to be the predominant mechanism. This belch pattern is characterized by a rapid influx of air into the oesophagus, immediately followed by rapid air expulsion. The rate at which supragastric belching occurs is influenced by attention and distraction, suggesting a behavioural disorder and speech therapy may be of benefit to these patients. In 17 consecutive patients with excessive belching, concurrent impedance monitoring and high-resolution manometry were performed to ascertain the mechanism of belching. Patients with supragastric belches were referred to a speech therapist, who was familiar with the concept of supragastric belching. Before and after treatment by the speech therapist, patients filled out a VAS scale regarding the severity of their symptoms. In all patients, supragastric belches were identified with impedance monitoring. Eleven patients were referred to a speech therapist, six patients were not able or willing to undergo repetitive treatments. Eleven patients completed treatment by the speech therapist consisting of 10 (8-10) sessions. Overall, the VAS scales showed a significant improvement of the severity of symptoms (P 30%) in their symptoms and four patients reported a modest decrease (<30%). In one patient, the VAS scores indicated an increase in symptoms. Speech therapy performed by a well-informed speech pathologist leads to a significant symptom reduction in patients with excessive supragastric belching. This is the first study indicating benefit of a treatment for excessive belching.

Management and treatment of glycogenosis type II.

Abstract: Glycogenosis type II is a multisystem disorder that requires management by a multidisciplinary team. The team should include several specialists, such as a metabolic disease specialist or biochemical geneticist, cardiologist, pulmonologist, neurologist, neuromuscular specialist, intensivist, orthopedist, respiratory therapist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, otolaryngologist speech therapist, audiologist, genetic counselor, and a metabolic dietician, who, as a team, will be capable of addressing the different manifestations of the condition. Aspects of functional assessment, rehabilitation, nutritional management, care coordination, nursing, genetic counseling, prenatal diagnosis, and screening are discussed in this article. In addition, treatment of glycogenosis type II is reviewed with attention to emerging therapeutic options.