Speech-language pathology and dysphagia in multiple sclerosis

Dysarthria occurs in approximately 40% of all patients with MS. When speech and voice disturbances do occur, they usually present as a spastic-ataxic dysarthria with disorders of voice intensity, voice quality, articulation, and intonation. While language disturbances such as aphasia, auditory agnosia, anomia, dysgraphia, and dyslexia are very rare in MS, cognitive deficits and swallowing disorders are common. Treating dysarthria, dysphagia, and cognitive deficits in MS patients is effective for reestablishing functional daily activities. The types, severity, and rates of deterioration in MS are highly variable; complete restoration to normal functioning is therefore not always expected. For these reasons, careful documentation of clinical-treatment outcomes and the factors influencing these outcomes should be regularly collected and reported.