Disorders of communication: dysarthria

Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder which can be classified according to the underlying neuropathology and is associated with disturbances of respiration, laryngeal function, airflow direction, and articulation resulting in difficulties of speech quality and intelligibility. There are six major types of dysarthria: flaccid dysarthria associated with lower motor neuron impairment, spastic dysarthria associated with damaged upper motor neurons linked to the motor areas of the cerebral cortex, ataxic dysarthria primarily caused by cerebellar dysfunction, and hyperkinetic dysarthria and hypokinetic dysarthria, which are related to a disorder of the extrapyramidal system. The sixth is generally termed a mixed dysarthria and is associated with damage in more than one area, resulting in speech characteristics of at least two groups. The features of the speech disturbance of these six major types of dysarthria are distinctive and can assist with diagnosis. Dysarthria is a frequent symptom of many neurological conditions and is commonly associated with progressive neurological disease. It has a profound effect upon the patient and their families as communication is integrally related with expressing personality and social relationships. Speech and language therapy can be used to encourage the person to use the speech that is already available to them more effectively, can increase the range and consistency of sound production, can teach strategies for improving intelligibility and communicative effectiveness, can guide the individual to use methods that are less tiring and more successful, and can introduce the appropriate Augmentative and Alternative Communication approaches as and when required.