[Peripheral nervous system and speech disorders]

Disorders affecting the lower motor neurons in childhood, with a congenital or acquired aetiology, give rise to difficulties in neuromotor response and, therefore, motor disorders affecting speech in a period that is especially critical for the development of language. The low incidence of this pathology, its comorbidity with other brain conditions and its uncertain prognosis make it a particularly interesting area of study.

The purpose of this work is to review the motor disorders affecting speech in flaccid dysarthria, together with its functional evaluation and speech therapy interventions.

The study aims to carry out the clinical characterisation of the disorders affecting verbal production of a peripheral origin, and more specifically flaccid dysarthria and its respiratory, phonatory, resonance, articulatory and prosodic manifestations. The analysis then goes on to outline the functional evaluation and lines of intervention for its treatment are proposed.

The clinical manifestations of flaccid dysarthria are very heterogeneous and range from very slight difficulties in articulation to severe disorders that seriously limit the capacity for verbal expression. In most cases, a functional examination yields valuable findings for its identification and classification, for determining the need for complementary evaluations and for establishing the most suitable programme of speech therapy. The guided participation of the family and the interdisciplinary approach are factors that play a decisive role in improving these processes.