Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 5, 2026
12:43
A Protocol for Comprehensive Assessment of Bulbar Dysfunction in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ALS
Published on: February 21, 2011
34.8K
Functional and structural abnormalities of the speech disorders: a multimodal activation likelihood estimation
Hao Cai1, Jie Dong1, Leilei Mei2
1Key Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Neuroscience of Language, Xi'an International Studies University, Xi'an 710128, China.
Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|March 11, 2024
Summary
This meta-analysis reveals common brain abnormalities in speech disorders like dysarthria and aphasia. Findings highlight shared neural underpinnings, aiding diagnosis and intervention for speech impairments.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Clinical Neurology
- Speech Pathology
Background:
- Speech disorders exhibit varied functional and structural brain abnormalities, but specific and common patterns remain unclear.
- Understanding the neural basis of diverse speech disorders is crucial for effective diagnosis and treatment strategies.
Approach:
- A meta-analysis integrated data from 70 studies involving 1843 patients with dysarthria, dysphonia, stuttering, and aphasia, compared to 1950 healthy controls.
- Evaluated brain activity, functional connectivity, gray matter, and white matter fractional anisotropy to identify common and disorder-specific neural correlates.
Key Points:
- Dysarthria, dysphonia, stuttering, and aphasia showed distinct patterns of altered brain activity in specific regions.
- Across all four speech disorders, common findings included reduced activity, gray matter, and fractional anisotropy in motor and auditory cortices.
- Increased connectivity was observed between the default mode network and frontoparietal network in patients with speech disorders.
Conclusions:
- This comprehensive meta-analysis clarifies the neural underpinnings of various speech disorders.
- Identified common abnormalities in motor and auditory processing areas and network connectivity offer potential biomarkers for diagnosis.
- Findings provide a foundation for developing targeted clinical interventions for speech disorders.
