Dysarthria

Dysarthria [dis-AHR-three-uh] refers to speech problems caused by either nerve damage or muscle weakness. Because the tongue, throat, and face are involved in forming words, any disorder or disease that affects those areas can result in dysarthria. Injury to some areas of the brain can also cause dysarthria. There are several different types of dysarthria.

• Spastic [SPAS-tik]. This type of dysarthria involves damage to the frontal lobes of the brain, brainstem, and spinal cord that affect speech.
• Flaccid [FLAS-id]. Damage to the spinal or cranial nerves of the lower motor system causes flaccid dysarthria.
• Ataxic [uh-TAK-sik]. Damage to the cerebellum that causes speech problems is called ataxic dysarthria.
• Hyperkinetic [hahy-per-ki-NEK-tik]. This type of dysarthria is typically caused by Parkinson’s Disease.
• Mixed. This is a combination of two or more types of dysarthria.

Because dysarthria has many different causes, it is often accompanied by other conditions or complications.

Some of the symptoms of dysarthria include:

• Slurred or slow speech
• Inability to control volume (shouting or whispering)
• Uneven speech pattern or rhythm
• Rapid, difficult to understand speech
• Raspy or strained voice
• Speaking in a monotone
• Difficulty moving tongue or facial muscles

Dysarthria is a condition that usually occurs in children because of a neurological [NOO-roh-LAH-jik-uhl] injury, so be on the watch for these symptoms after your child has suffered a fall or head injury.

If you notice changes in your child’s speech or voice, especially after a fall or brain injury, contact your doctor and schedule an appointment for your child to be examined and tested for dysarthria.

Usually, dysarthria happens because of a disease, illness, injury, or other condition that makes it difficult to use the muscles or nerves of your child’s mouth, face, or respiratory system. Here are just a few of the kinds of conditions or injuries that might cause dysarthria in children:

• Lou Gehrig’s Disease or ALS
• Brain injury or tumor
• Cerebral palsy
• Guillain-Barre syndrome
• Head injury
• Hypothermia [hahy-puh-THUR-mee-uh]
• Huntington's disease
• Lyme disease
• Multiple sclerosis [skluhr-OH-sis]
• Muscular dystrophy [DYS-truh-fee]
• Myasthenia [mahy-uh s-THEE-nee-uh] gravis
• Parkinson’s disease
• Stroke
• Wilson's disease

There are also some medicines that can cause dysarthria as a side effect, so speak with your doctor about your child’s medical history and be sure to tell them about any medicines that your child is currently taking.

Usually, dysarthria is diagnosed by a speech-language pathologist trained in working with children. Your child may need to undergo several tests to determine which type of dysarthria is causing speech problems. These tests may include the following:

• CT or MRI scan
• Electromyogram [e-LEK-tro-MY-oh-GRAM]
• Blood and urine tests
• Spinal tap
• Brain biopsy [BY-op-see]
• Neuropsychological tests

Speech pathologists often do several different kinds of tests in their assessment, which looks for speech concerns as well as problems with feeding, respiration, and basic structural issues in your child’s mouth.

Treating the cause of your child’s dysarthria may improve the symptoms of slow or slurred speech. Depending on the severity and cause of your child’s dysarthria, the doctor may refer your child to speech and language therapy. This therapy might include some of the following approaches:

• Mouth strengthening exercises
• Safe chewing and swallowing techniques
• Silent communication tools and strategies

Your child may also experience depression and frustration because of dysarthria and the difficulties of being unable to speak and articulate clearly. Treatment for these issues might include speaking with a counselor or child psychologist who can help your child develop coping strategies.

Because dysarthria is a condition that arises from nerve or muscle damage, there is no specific way to prevent it. However, symptoms can be managed or improved through speech therapy depending on the severity and cause of the dysarthria. Work with your child’s doctor to develop a treatment plan that includes not only addressing the underlying cause of your child’s dysarthria but any forms of speech or language therapy that might be helpful.

Dysarthria [dis-AHR-three-uh] is a condition in which your child may have slurred or slow speech, referred to as dysarthric speech. Dysarthria can also result in an inability to regulate volume or tone of voice.