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Articulatory speech performance in patients with salivary gland dysfunction: a pilot study
N L Rhodus1, K Moller, S Colby
1Oral Medicine, University of Minnesota, School of Dentistry, Minneapolis 55455, USA.
Quintessence International (Berlin, Germany : 1985)
|November 1, 1995
Summary
Patients with salivary gland dysfunction experience significant speech difficulties. This study found that xerostomia impairs speech task completion, confirmed by clinical and videofluoroscopic measures.
Area of Science:
- Oral medicine
- Speech-language pathology
- Radiology
Background:
- Xerostomia (dry mouth) due to salivary gland dysfunction commonly causes speech impairment.
- Understanding speech difficulties across different etiologies of salivary gland dysfunction is crucial for patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess and compare speech task performance in patients with salivary gland dysfunction from Sjogren's syndrome (primary and secondary) and head and neck cancer irradiation.
- To compare these patient groups with a healthy control group.
Main Methods:
- Quantification of diadochokinetic speech tasks using both clinical assessment and videofluoroscopy.
- Inclusion of subjective self-assessment of speech problems by all participants.
Main Results:
- Patients with salivary gland dysfunction, regardless of etiology, completed significantly fewer speech tasks than controls.
- Both clinical and videofluoroscopic methods provided comparable, quantitative data on speech performance.
- Self-reported speech problems were more prevalent in patients with salivary gland dysfunction.
Conclusions:
- Salivary gland dysfunction significantly impacts speech task performance.
- Videofluoroscopy is a valuable tool for objective speech analysis in xerostomia.
- Addressing speech difficulties should be an integral part of managing patients with salivary gland dysfunction.