EMA analysis of tongue function in children with dysarthria following traumatic brain injury

To investigate the speed and accuracy of tongue movements exhibited by a sample of children with dysarthria following severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) during speech using electromagnetic articulography (EMA).

Four children, aged between 12.75-17.17 years with dysarthria following TBI, were assessed using the AG-100 electromagnetic articulography system (Carstens Medizinelektronik). The movement trajectories of receiver coils affixed to each child's tongue were examined during consonant productions, together with a range of quantitative kinematic parameters. The children's results were individually compared against the mean values obtained by a group of eight control children (mean age of 14.67 years, SD 1.60).

All four TBI children were perceived to exhibit reduced rates of speech and increased word durations. Objective EMA analysis revealed that two of the TBI children exhibited significantly longer consonant durations compared to the control group, resulting from different underlying mechanisms relating to speed generation capabilities and distances travelled. The other two TBI children did not exhibit increased initial consonant movement durations, suggesting that the vowels and/or final consonants may have been contributing to the increased word durations.

The finding of different underlying articulatory kinematic profiles has important implications for the treatment of speech rate disturbances in children with dysarthria following TBI.