Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026
12:43
A Protocol for Comprehensive Assessment of Bulbar Dysfunction in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Published on: February 21, 2011
Longitudinal changes in discourse production in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Angela Roberts-South1, Kate Findlater, Michael J Strong
1School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. asouth4@uwo.ca
Seminars in Speech and Language
|February 25, 2012
Summary
Subtle language deficits in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) affect communication early and worsen over time. Discourse analysis reveals these changes better than standard tests, showing content is more impacted than productivity.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Linguistics
- Speech-Language Pathology
Background:
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a multisystem disease impacting motor speech, cognition, and language.
- Communication deficits are significant in ALS, yet discourse changes and their progression are understudied.
- Existing research lacks comprehensive analysis of discourse alterations throughout ALS progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate changes in discourse and language skills in individuals with ALS over 24 months.
- To compare discourse analysis with standardized language tests for sensitivity in detecting ALS-related deficits.
- To evaluate the progression of language impairments in ALS patients without dementia.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study over 24 months involving 16 individuals with ALS (no dementia) and 12 healthy controls.
- Collection of discourse samples via a picture description task.
- Analysis of discourse productivity and content, alongside standardized language test measures.
Main Results:
- No significant differences were found between ALS patients and controls on standardized language tests.
- Discourse analysis methods demonstrated higher sensitivity in identifying subtle language deficits in ALS.
- Discourse productivity was less impaired than discourse content in individuals with ALS.
- A general trend of language performance decline was observed over time, with evidence of performance subgroups.
Conclusions:
- Subtle cognitive-language deficits affecting discourse emerge early in ALS.
- These discourse deficits progress alongside the disease.
- Discourse analysis is a more sensitive tool than standardized tests for detecting early and subtle language impairments in ALS.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology
Alzheimer disease involves structural changes in the brain that begin long before symptoms appear. The most distinctive features are extracellular neuritic plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles.Neuritic plaques form in the cerebral cortex and around blood vessels. These plaques contain a dense core of beta-amyloid (Aβ)—a toxic protein fragment that clumps outside neurons. The core is surrounded by damaged neuronal extensions, as well as reactive astrocytes and microglia. Abnormal...
01:29Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction
Alzheimer disease is a chronic, progressive, and irreversible neurodegenerative disorder and the most common cause of dementia in older adults. It leads to gradual neuronal loss, causing cognitive decline, behavioral changes, and loss of functional independence.Risk Factors and EtiologyThe disease is multifactorial. Age is the strongest risk factor, with prevalence doubling every 5 years after age 65. Genetic factors include mutations in genes such as APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2, which are associated...
01:26Cross-bridge Cycle
As muscle contracts, the overlap between the thin and thick filaments increases, decreasing the length of the sarcomere—the contractile unit of the muscle—using energy in the form of ATP. At the molecular level, this is a cyclic, multistep process that involves binding and hydrolysis of ATP, and movement of actin by myosin.
01:10Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language
Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
01:12Alterations in Muscle Tone ll
Alterations in muscle tone are common manifestations of neurological disorders and reflect dysfunction within different nervous system regions. Spasticity, paratonia, and dystonia represent distinct forms of hypertonia, each with unique mechanisms, clinical features, and diagnostic importance.CharacteristicsSpasticity happens from upper motor neuron lesions and is characterized by velocity-dependent resistance to passive movement. Clinical features include:Exaggerated deep tendon reflexesClonus...
01:26Alzheimer's Disease: Overview
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a continually advancing neurodegenerative disorder, distinguished by escalating memory loss, cognitive dysfunction, and dementia. The disease unfolds in three stages: preclinical, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia. Its onset is insidious, and the progression gradual, with the cause not well explained by other disorders.
The clinical diagnosis of AD hinges on the presence of memory and other cognitive impairments. Biomarkers, such as changes in Aβ and tau...
The clinical diagnosis of AD hinges on the presence of memory and other cognitive impairments. Biomarkers, such as changes in Aβ and tau...