Dysarthria Definition - Treatment and Source of Dysarthria

What is Dysarthria?

Dysarthria is a problem of slow speech and inability to speech caused by weakness or in coordination of the speech muscles or it may be symptoms of certain disease like multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy. Stroke, brain injury, or brain tumor may also result in this disease. It may cause to the difficulty in speech or make person unable to speech. Dysarthria can be treated with the help of speech therapy to get normal speech.

There are four main types of dysarthria:

• Dyskinetic dysarthria
• Spastic dysarthria
• Peripheral dysarthria
• Mixed dysarthria

Causes of Dysarthria

Spastic dysarthria is caused by damage to the primary voluntary motor pathways, which originate in the frontal lobes of the brain and descend to the brainstem and spinal cord. In adults, dysarthria is can be caused by stroke, degenerative disease (Parkinson's, Huntington's, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis), infections (meningitis), brain tumours, and toxins (drug or alcohol abuse, lead poisoning, carbon monoxide, etc.).

Symptoms of Dysarthria

• slurred, jerky, or garbled speech which is difficult to understand
• slow rate of speech
• poor control of saliva
• hoarseness and breathiness
• speaking softly
• poor control of saliva

Treatment of Dysarthria

Treatment depends on the cause, type, and severity of the symptoms. A speech-language pathologist (SLP) works with the individual to improve communication abilities.

Therapy for dysarthria focuses on maximizing the function of all systems. Compensatory strategies are often used. Individuals with dysarthria may be advised to take frequent pauses for breath, to over-articulate, or to pause before important words to make them stand out. If there is muscle weakness, they may benefit from performing oro-facial exercises.

Home remedies to treat Dysarthria

A relaxed, calm environment where external stimuli are kept to a minimum is important. For aphasia, family members may need to provide frequent orientation reminders, such as what day it is, because disorientation and confusion often follow the onset of aphasia.

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