What is dysarthria and why does it occur?

What is dysarthria?

Dysarthria (from the Greek dis, “malfunction”; and arthros, “articulation”), is a condition of neurological origin and refers to themotor execution of speech in a poor way, because the muscles of the mouth, face, tongue, vocal cords and respiratory system weaken, move slowly or become completely paralyzed and usually occurafter a brain injury. (1)

In this sense, people with dysarthria can manifest symptoms such asdifficulty expressing themselves through speech, since the motor part that works to emit words works very slowly, despite the fact that the patient through thoughtdoes so at normal speed.

You should know: Dysarthriashould not be confused withbradilalia, since the second refers to the slowness in the emission of words but does not affect their comprehension.

In another order of ideas, dysarthria and motor aphasia(2) are different terms since dysarthriais not a language disorder, but a speech disorderand the person with dysarthriahas the characteristicthat he drags the words when speaking, he does it slowly or also quickly and lackstalkativeness.

What causes dysarthria?

As mentioned above, dysarthria is basedon disorders of neurological origin, which we mention below:

1. Brain injury

Pathologies in patients such as cerebrovascular accidents that cause a stroke, cerebral palsy or brain damage due to a tumor, can affect the motor part in the Central or Peripheral Nervous System, which controls the movements of the muscles of the mouth and the entire section of muscles involved in speech.

Note: It is advisable to give all the information regarding this disease to the patient, so that they internalize their state of health and how their evolution will be.

2. Nervous system disorders

Dysarthria can appear after damage to the nerves, which supply the muscles with nerve impulsesthat help speech, due to trauma to the spinal cord, facial or cervical trauma, among others.

To highlight: Dysarthria can also originate as a consequence of suffering from Parkinson’s disease. (3)

3. Neuromuscular diseases

Likewise, dysarthria can have its origin in pathologies that affect the nerves and muscles (neuromuscular diseases), such as myasthenia gravis, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

You should know: These pathologies can give rise to other speech difficulties , including dysarthria.

4. Alcohol and drugs

Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages or compulsive use of drugs that act on the Central Nervous System , such as narcotics, phenytoin or carbamazepine, can cause side effects, including speech disorders such as dysarthria.

How is the treatment for dysarthria?

There are defined therapeutic or surgical intervention strategies that can help treat dysarthria , which we mention below:

1. Speech and language therapy

Note: These intervention strategies are designed to improve articulation of the muscles involved in speech , breathing, and phonetic coordination of words.

2. Surgery

The surgery is intended to repair the damage caused to the Central Nervous System, due to cerebrovascular accidents or trauma in areas where Control of the movements involved in speech predominates.

To do this, several diagnostic tests must be performed to assess the damage and verify the cost-benefit ratio of the surgery.

Important: It is necessary after the surgical intervention, the application of the therapy and language strategy.

3. Family support

This point is very important, because the patient in these conditions feels at a disadvantage compared to the family group and can fall into depressive states that can worsen their health situation .

To highlight: Family support is very important in the recovery process of the patient with dysarthria.

Key Findings

• Dysarthria is a condition of neurological origin and refers to poor motor execution of speech.
• Dysarthria occurs because the muscles of the mouth, face, tongue, vocal cords, and respiratory system become weak or paralyzed .
• Dysarthria is not a language disorder but a speech disorder.
• Dysarthria should not be confused with bradylalia.