Dysarthria
A motor-speech condition, dysarthria occurs when you’re unable to control or coordinate the muscles that your speech production requires. More often than not, the disorder results from a neurological condition or brain injury like a stroke. Moreover, it can affect various aspects of speech. For example, you may lose your ability to say or pronounce specific sounds or normalize your talking volume. The intonation quality and pace of your speech may also be compromised.
The impairments you experience often depend on your dysarthria’s underlying cause. Its symptoms can also vary in severity. Common signs include slurred and slow speech, varied and abnormal speech rhythm, whispering or speaking softly, hoarse or strained vocal quality, drooling, and difficulties controlling the tongue. Furthermore, many conditions can result in dysarthria, such as a brain tumor, head injury, cerebral palsy, Bell’s palsy, myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, Guillain-Barre syndrome, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Wilson’s disease.
Generally, people with neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases are at risk of stroke. In addition, those in poor health and are involved in drug and alcohol abuse tend to be more susceptible to developing dysarthria. Therefore, it’s best to work with a healthcare provider to treat the condition.
