Symptoms
Dysarthria is a speech disorder caused by muscle weakness. It can make it hard for you to talk. People may have trouble understanding what you say. Speech-language pathologists, or SLPs, can help. We use many muscles to talk. These include muscles in our face, lips, tongue, and throat, as well as muscles for breathing.
Causes
Your work with the SLP will depend on the type of dysarthria you have and how severe it is. You may work on: Slowing down your speech. Using more breath to speak louder. Making your mouth muscles stronger.
Prevention
Causes of this speech problem may include: Depending on the cause, dysarthria can make your speech: Because dysarthria can make it harder to move your lips, tongue, and jaw, it can be harder for you to chew and swallow. Trouble swallowing can cause you to drool.
Complications
What is dysarthria and how is it treated?
How can SLP help with dysarthria?
What causes speech problems with dysarthria?
How do you treat dysarthria?
Treatment for Dysarthria Using more breath to speak louder. Making your mouth muscles stronger. Moving your lips and tongue more. Saying sounds clearly in words and sentences.
Can dysarthria be treated?
Treating the underlying cause of your dysarthria may improve your speech. You may also need speech therapy. For dysarthria caused by prescription medications, changing or discontinuing the medications may help.
How do speech pathologists treat dysarthria?
You may have speech and language therapy to help you regain normal speech and improve communication. Your speech therapy goals might include adjusting speech rate, strengthening muscles, increasing breath support, improving articulation and helping family members communicate with you.
Who treats dysarthria?
Determining the Cause of Dysarthria Call 911 right away. But if it's been happening for a while, see a speech-language pathologist (SLP). They'll ask about any diseases you have that could affect your speech. They'll also want to check the strength of the muscles in your lips, tongue, and jaw as you talk.
How do you improve dysarthria?
How is dysarthria treated?Increase tongue and lip movement.Strengthen your speech muscles.Slow the rate at which you speak.Improve your breathing for louder speech.Improve your articulation for clearer speech.Practice group communication skills.Test your communication skills in real-life. situations.
Is dysarthria a type of aphasia?
Dysarthria and aphasia have a lot in common. They are both communication impairments that can be the result of a stroke, and can even occur at the same time. Both conditions can make communication difficult. The difference between the two is that dysarthria is a speech impairment while aphasia is a language impairment.
Is dysarthria a cognitive disorder?
Cognitive-communication disorders can occur alone or in combination with other conditions, such as dysarthria (slurred speech), apraxia (inability to move the face and tongue muscles correctly to form words), or aphasia (impaired language).
How do you treat speech apraxia?
Speech therapy. Your child's speech-language pathologist will usually provide therapy that focuses on practicing syllables, words and phrases. When CAS is relatively severe, your child may need frequent speech therapy, three to five times a week. As your child improves, the frequency of speech therapy may be reduced.
What are the types of dysarthria?
Types of dysarthriaFlaccid dysarthria. Flaccid dysarthria is caused by lower motor neuron damage. ... Spastic dysarthria. ... Unilateral upper motor neuron dysarthria. ... Ataxic dysarthria. ... Hypokinetic dysarthria. ... Hyperkinetic dysarthria. ... Mixed dysarthria.
Is dysarthria a speech sound disorder?
Organic speech sound disorders include those resulting from motor/neurological disorders (e.g., childhood apraxia of speech and dysarthria), structural abnormalities (e.g., cleft lip/palate and other structural deficits or anomalies), and sensory/perceptual disorders (e.g., hearing loss).
Can dysarthria improve?
Whether dysarthria will improve with speech and language therapy depends on the cause and the extent of the brain damage or dysfunction. Some causes remain stable, while others may worsen over time.
What is the Broca's aphasia?
The most common type of nonfluent aphasia is Broca's aphasia (see figure). People with Broca's aphasia have damage that primarily affects the frontal lobe of the brain. They often have right-sided weakness or paralysis of the arm and leg because the frontal lobe is also important for motor movements.
Can you fully recover from dysarthria?
Dysarthria caused by medicines or poorly fitting dentures can be reversed. Dysarthria caused by a stroke or brain injury will not get worse, and may improve. Dysarthria after surgery to the tongue or voice box should not get worse, and may improve with therapy.
Can ataxic dysarthria be cured?
It's sometimes possible to treat the underlying cause of the condition so it improves or stops getting worse, but in most cases this isn't possible and you'll have treatment to relieve your symptoms.
Can speech problems be cured?
Speech Disorder Treatments Many speech disorders cannot be cured, but by receiving speech and language therapy with a licensed speech pathologist, many children and adults can improve their speech or adapt to alternative communication methods.
Is dysarthria a disability?
Dysarthria can occur as a developmental disability. It may be a sign of a neuromuscular disorder such as cerebral palsy or Parkinson's disease. It may also be caused by a stroke, brain injury, or brain tumor.
What is dysarthria and dysphagia ?
Dysarthria is a motor-speech disorder, where permanent brain and/or nerve damage impacts speech-related muscles. It’s often accompanied by dysphagi...
What causes dysarthria to develop?
Some causes for dysarthria include brain tumor or injury, stroke, nervous system disorders such as cerebral palsy or Guillain-Barre syndrome, certa...
Can dysarthria come and go?
Dysarthria doesn’t typically appear and then disappear, though improvement can wax and wane depending on how much the patient progresses in strengt...
Can anxiety cause dysarthria?
In short, no—anxiety is not a diagnosable cause for clinical dysarthria. It is extremely rare for anxiety to cause any kind of slurred speech or ot...
What type of dysarthria is associated with ALS?
Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) most often suffer mixed dysarthria—typically flaccid dysarthria, caused by damage to their periph...
Does dysarthria go away?
Dysarthria may go away with speech-language therapy, especially if it was caused by a treatable trauma, medication, or mild stroke. Some causes of...
What is apraxia and dysarthria?
Apraxia and dysarthria are both motor speech disorders. Apraxia is a brain and nervous system disorder that specifically causes an inability for pa...
How does SLP test your speech?
An SLP can test your speech and language. This will help the SLP decide if you have dysarthria or another problem. The SLP will look at how well you move your mouth , lips , and tongue and how well you breathe. She will listen to your speech in single words, sentences, and conversation.
What is it called when you have trouble understanding what others say?
You could also have trouble understanding what others say or telling others about your thoughts, called aphasia.
Can brain damage cause dysarthria?
Brain damage causes dysarthria. It can happen at birth or after an illness or injury. Anything that causes brain damage can cause dysarthria, such as:
How to help dysarthric speech?
People with dysarthric speech benefit from speech therapy to improve communication . Speech-language pathologists can also work with your family and loved ones to help them learn how to better communicate with you.
How common is dysarthria?
Researchers don’t know exactly how common dysarthria is. It is more common in people who have certain neurological conditions, such as: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): Up to 30% of people with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) have dysarthria.
What is the name of the disorder in which the muscles that are used to produce speech are damaged, paralyzed?
Dysarthria. Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder in which the muscles that are used to produce speech are damaged, paralyzed, or weakened. The person with dysarthria cannot control their tongue or voice box and may slur words. There are strategies to improve communication. Appointments 216.444.8500.
What is the difference between central dysarthria and peripheral dysarthria?
The type of dysarthria depends on the part of the nervous system affected: Central dysarthria: Caused by damage to the brain. Peripheral dysarthria: Caused by damage to what the organs needed for speech. Dysarthria can be developmental or acquired:
How many people with MS have dysarthria?
Multiple sclerosis (MS): Around 25% to 50% of people with MS get dysarthria at some point. Parkinson’s disease: Dysarthria affects 70% to 100% of people with Parkinson’s disease. Stroke: About 8% to 60% of people with stroke have dysarthria.
What causes a person to hear a lot of sounds?
Myasthenia gravis. Parkinson’s disease. Peripheral dysarthria develops from damage to the speech organs that changes the way a person sounds. Causes include: Congenital ( being born with) structural problems.
What are the parts of the body that are affected by dysarthria?
Speech problems can cause difficulties in social situations, jobs and school. Dysarthria affects many parts of the body needed for speech, including the: Tongue. Larynx (voice box).
What is dysarthria speech?
Summary. Dysarthria is a speech disorder that occurs due to weakness in the muscles necessary for speech production. People can develop dysarthria after a stroke, brain infection, or brain injury. Certain neurodegenerative diseases can also damage parts of the brain that control the muscles that speech involves.
Why do people have dysarthria?
Some people develop dysarthria due to an underlying medical condition, such as an infection or exposure to a toxic substance. These individuals may notice improvements in their speech after they receive antibiotics or identify and eliminate the toxic compound.
What causes dysarthria in the upper respiratory tract?
upper respiratory tract. The neurological damage that causes dysarthria can occur due to: neurological conditions, such as epilepsy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Parkinson’s disease. brain tumors. trauma from injuries to the head or neck, as well as repeated blunt force impacts to the skull.
How does dysphasia affect speech?
Aphasia and dysphasia affect a person’s ability to understand or produce language. These disorders result from damage to the language centers within the brain. Apraxia affects a person’s ability to produce speech and results from damage to the part of the brain that plays a role in planning speech. Dysarthria is a distinct speech disorder ...
What is hyperkinetic dysarthria?
Hyperkinetic dysarthria occurs as a result of damage to parts of the brain that doctors refer to collectively as the basal ganglia. The basal ganglia play a role in various functions, including involuntary muscle movement.
What is the term for a group of speech disorders that occur as a result of muscle weakness?
Dysarthria is a collective term for a group of speech disorders that occur as a result of muscle weakness. People with dysarthria have neurological damage that weakens the muscles necessary for speech.
What is flaccid dysarthria?
Flaccid dysarthria. The hallmark of flaccid dysarthria is difficulty pronouncing consonants. Damage to the peripheral nervous system (PNS) is responsible for this type of dysarthria. The PNS connects the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body. Flaccid dysarthria can result from any of the following:
What Is Dysarthria?
If you haven’t come across this literal tongue-twister of a disorder, you may be wondering “What is dysarthria and dysphagia?” Dysarthria is a motor-speech disorder, where permanent brain and/or nerve damage impacts speech-related muscles. It’s often accompanied by dysphagia, which is an impairment that affects the ability to swallow. These issues show up together frequently, since the muscles and nerves for both skills being are closely located and related in the body and brain.
What is the best way to communicate with a patient with dysarthria?
For those with severe or progressive forms of dysarthria, you may also be training your patient to use augmentative and alternative communication . This includes all the types of communication that don’t involve speaking, such as writing, facial expressions, hand gestures, drawing, using photos, or even a speech-generating device.
What is the name of the condition that causes a person to have a stiff jaw and a breathy nose?
Flaccid dysarthria —This type of dysarthria can happen after strokes, congenital disorders, ALS, cerebral palsy, tumors, MNS, or other traumas to the brain. Your patient might have low muscle tone and their speech can be breathy or nasal. Other signs include a jaw that tends to droop or hang open, and a stiff gait. They may also have swallowing difficulties.
What causes hyperkinetic dysarthria?
Hyperkinetic Dysarthria results from diseases like Huntington’s Disease, which attack the basal galangia. You will notice excessive movement, strained or strangled sounding speech, variations in volume, and changes in the rate of speaking.
Why do children have dysarthria?
Dysarthria in Children. Dysarthria in children is often misidentified as childhood apraxia of speech. One reason for this is that they may only show weakness in speech associated muscles, without any other evident weakness (unlike what is common in adults). In addition, young children don’t always understand or fully cooperate with ...
Why do you need to be a speech pathologist?
Becoming a speech pathologist offers the opportunity to address a variety of disorders and injuries that affect your patients’ daily lives and communication skills . Dysarthria is one of the more common speech disorders you’ll encounter in this profession, and it’s an ailment that has the potential to severely impact a patient’s quality of life. Successful treatment of dysarthria means you’ve been able to help your clients regain their ability to make themselves heard again, and with it, regain a sense of autonomy.
What causes dysarthria?
What causes dysarthria to develop? Some causes for dysarthria include brain tumor or injury, stroke, nervous system disorders such as cerebral palsy or Guillain-Barre syndrome, certain medications such as seizure medicines. It may appear suddenly, as with brain trauma, or gradually, with progressive neurological disorders.
What is the best treatment for dysarthria?
If your symptoms are related to an underlying medical condition, your doctor may recommend medications, surgery, speech-language therapy, or other treatments to address it.
What is dysarthria speech?
What is dysarthria? Dysarthria is a motor-speech disorder. It happens when you can’t coordinate or control the muscles used for speech production in your face, mouth, or respiratory system. It usually results from a brain injury or neurological condition, such as a stroke. People with dysarthria have difficulty controlling ...
Why is my speech so slow?
Your speech may become slow or slurred. As a result, it may be difficult for others to understand what you’re trying to say. The specific speech impairments that you experience will depend on the underlying cause of your dysarthria. If it’s caused by a brain injury, for example, your specific symptoms will depend on the location and severity ...
How can a speech pathologist help you?
A speech-language pathologist may be able to help you improve your communication abilities. They may develop a custom treatment plan to help you: Increase tongue and lip movement. Strengthen your speech muscles. Slow the rate at which you speak. Improve your breathing for louder speech.
How do you know if you have dysarthria?
Typical symptoms include: slurred speech. slow speech. rapid speech. abnormal, varied rhythm of speech. speaking softly or in a whisper. difficulty changing the volume of your speech. nasal, strained, or hoarse vocal quality.
How to reduce the risk of dysarthria?
For example: Exercise regularly. Keep your weight at a healthy level. Increase the amount of fruits and vegetables in. your diet. Limit cholesterol, saturated fat, and salt in. your diet. Limit your intake of alcohol.
What doctor can diagnose dysarthria?
If they suspect you have dysarthria, your doctor may refer you to a speech-language pathologist. This specialist can use several examinations and tests to assess the severity and diagnose the cause of your dysarthria. For example, they will evaluate how you speak and move your lips, tongue, and facial muscles.
What is dysarthria speech?
Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder that has a significant range in terms of its severity. There are actually 7 different classifications of dysarthria and we will discuss the clinical implications of each. Additionally, we will look at how dysarthria differs from other motor speech disorders.
What are some strategies to use when speaking with someone with dysarthria?
Strategies like communicating in quiet environments, modifying questions to yes/no responses if something is unclear, avoiding filling in words or sentences for the person, and looking at the person when they are speaking , are all positive strategies that can be used when speaking with someone with dysarthria.
How many types of dysarthria are there?
7 Types of Dysarthria and Speech Characteristics. Characteristics can range in severity and vary in cause depending on the type of dysarthria. Dysarthrias are often classified into 7 different types:
What is the difference between dysarthria and apraxia?
Dysarthria and apraxia are both motor speech disorders. Dysarthria is caused by muscle weakness or the inability to control the speech muscles related to speech. The “plan” from the brain is correct, but the muscles aren’t able to follow the plan. Apraxia is caused by the brain’s inability to create a solid “plan” to tell ...
Why is my speech weak?
Causes of Dysarthria. Dysarthria causes speech muscles (sometimes called articulators - lips, tongue, cheeks, etc.) to be weak, in addition to difficulties with the components mentioned above. This is secondary to neuromuscular disturbance/damage to the brain.
Why is speech slurred?
Dysarthria is caused by muscle weakness or the inability to control the muscles related to speech. Speech appears slurred or unintelligible to the listener. Dysarthria can mildly affect the way speech is understood or it can be quite severe, making it difficult to understand one’s speech. Dysarthria can also impact the coordination ...
How does dysarthria affect movement?
Dysarthria can also impact the coordination of movement that involves respiration, phonation, resonance, and prosody. These are all components that contribute to the way that one speaks and communicates oral messages.