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Published on: September 25, 2014
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Sports Related Concussion Impacts Speech Rate and Muscle Physiology
Russell E Banks1,2, Deryk S Beal2,3, Eric J Hunter1
1Michigan State University, Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, East Lansing, MI, USA.
Brain Injury
|September 9, 2021
Summary
Athletes with a history of sports-related concussion (SRC) exhibit slower speech rates and increased muscle activation during speech tasks compared to controls. These findings highlight potential speech and muscle function changes following SRC.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Speech-Language Pathology
- Sports Medicine
Background:
- Sports-related concussion (SRC) can impact various physiological functions.
- Motor speech deficits may be a subtle consequence of SRC.
- Objective and subjective measures are needed to evaluate speech in athletes with SRC history.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine objective and subjective differences in speech rate and muscle function between athletes with and without SRC history.
- To explore the potential of motor speech evaluation in identifying SRC-related changes.
Main Methods:
- Speech samples from 30 athletes with recent SRC and 30 matched controls were analyzed.
- Speech rate was assessed using syllable timing and perceptual judgment.
- Muscle function was measured using surface electromyography (EMG) on key speech muscles.
Main Results:
- Athletes with SRC history demonstrated significantly slower speech rates during Diadochokinetic (DDK) tasks.
- Increased speech muscle activation was observed in athletes with SRC history during DDK tasks.
- Speech rate measures effectively predicted concussion history.
Conclusions:
- Athletes with SRC histories show clear evidence of slowed speech and increased muscle activation during DDK tasks.
- These findings suggest motor speech assessment as a potential tool for evaluating SRC.
- Future research should investigate speech rate changes in the acute phase of concussion.
