Dysarthria is a speech disorder that prevents a person from speaking and making sounds correctly. Rehabilitation is done with the help of a speech therapist.

What is dysarthria

Dysarthria is a disease characterized by weakness or loss of control of the respiratory muscles, palate, pharynx, and tongue. Speech becomes slow or may be difficult to understand.

Causes of dysarthria include disorders of the nervous system such as stroke, brain damage, brain tumors, and conditions that cause facial paralysis or muscle weakness in the tongue or throat. Certain medications can also cause dysarthria.

Treatment for dysarthria is aimed at treating the underlying cause when possible, which can improve speech. Therapy focusing on the voice to improve speech is possible. For dysarthria caused by drugs, stopping these drugs or changing the dosage may help.

Causes of dysarthria

Diseases that can lead to dysarthria include:

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
• A brain injury.
• A brain tumor.
• Cerebral palsy.
• Guillain Barre syndrome.
• Head injury
• Huntington’s disease.
• Lyme disease.
• Multiple sclerosis.
• Muscular dystrophy.
• Myasthenia gravis.
• Parkinson’s disease.
• A cerebral vascular accident.
• Wilson’s maladie.
• Certain medications such as narcotics or sedatives.

Diagnostic of dysarthrie

Dysarthria requires prompt medical attention. See a doctor immediately if you have sudden or unexplained changes in your ability to speak.

You will probably start seeing your family doctor or a general practitioner. If your doctor suspects a medical condition that is causing your symptoms, they will likely refer you to a neurologist for further evaluation.

The doctor may ask the following questions:

• When did the symptoms start?
• Are the symptoms permanent or occasional?
• Do the symptoms seem to get better or worse?
• What medications, vitamins or supplements are you taking?
• A speech-language pathologist can assess your speech to determine the type of dysarthria. This can be useful for the neurologist, who will look for the underlying cause.
• Imaging tests. Imaging tests, such as an MRI or a CT scan, provide detailed images of the brain that can help identify the cause of speech problems.
• An electroencephalogram measures electrical activity in the brain.
• An electromyogram assesses the electrical activity of the nerves as they transmit messages to muscles. Nerve conduction studies measure the strength and speed of electrical signals as they pass through nerves to muscles.
• Blood and urine tests. These can help determine if an infectious or inflammatory disease is causing the symptoms.
• Lumbar puncture. It is a procedure in which a doctor or nurse inserts a needle into the lower back to remove a small sample of cerebrospinal fluid for analysis.
• Brain biopsy. If a brain tumor is suspected, the doctor may remove a small sample of the brain tissue for analysis.
• Neuropsychological tests. These tests assess cognitive abilities such as the ability to understand speaking and reading, as well as writing. Dysarthria does not affect cognitive skills and the understanding of speech and writing, but an underlying disease can cause cognitive impairment.

Evolution et complications possible

Due to the communication problems caused by dysarthria, complications can include:

• A difficulty of life in society. Communication problems can affect your relationships with family and friends and make social situations difficult.
• Depression. In some people, dysarthria can lead to social isolation and depression.

The signs and symptoms of dysarthria vary depending on the underlying cause and type of dysarthria and can include:

• Speech disorders.
• Slow speech.
• Inability to speak loudly.
• A fast speech which is difficult to understand.
• Nasal or hoarse voice.
• Uneven or abnormal rhythm of speech.
• Uneven speech volume.
• Monotonous speech.
• Difficulty moving the tongue or facial muscles.

Treatment will depend on the cause and severity of the symptoms and the type of dysarthria.

Your doctor will treat the cause of the dysarthria if possible, which may improve speech. If your dysarthria is caused by medication, your doctor may change or stop treatment.

Speech and language therapy may be offered to help restore normal speech and improve communication. One of the goals of this therapy is to strengthen muscles, increase the ability to breathe well, improve joints and help family members communicate with the patient.

Complementary approaches

There are no complementary approaches to prevent or treat dysarthria.

However, there are tips that can help the patient communicate more effectively:

• Speak slowly in order to give the interlocutor time to understand what he is hearing.
• Introduce your topic with a short word or sentence before speaking with longer sentences.
• Ask the caller to confirm that they have understood correctly.
• Take a break if you’re tired. Fatigue can make speech more difficult to understand.
• Writing messages can be helpful. Write messages on a cell phone or take a pencil and a small pad of paper with you.
• Use shortcuts. Draw pictures or use photos during conversations to reduce the stress of speaking.
• Pointing to an object can also help convey a message.

Family and friends

If you have a family member or friend with dysarthria, the following suggestions may help you communicate better with that person:

• Allow the person to speak.
• Don’t finish sentences or correct mistakes.
• Look at the person when they speak.
• Reduce distracting noise in the environment.
• Tell the person if you have difficulty understanding.
• Keep a paper, pencil or pen readily available.
• Involve the person with dysarthria in conversations as much as possible.
• Speak normally. Many people with dysarthria understand others without difficulty. So there is no need to slow down or speak out loud.