Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesSymptomsCausesTreatmentDiagnosisWhen to See a Healthcare ProviderFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types
Symptoms
Causes
Treatment
Diagnosis
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Frequently Asked Questions
Dysarthriais a motor speech disorder in which the muscles that help produce speech are weakened, damaged, or paralyzed. A person with this condition has no control over their voice box or tongue. They might also slur their words or have mumbled or choppy speech.
People withdysarthriaare sometimes born with another condition that leads to it, or they may experience an injury or illness that causes it later in life. Many of these conditions are manageable, and there are ways to improve speech in people with dysarthria.
This article will cover the types of dysarthria and their symptoms and causes. It also discusses treatment, diagnosis, and when to seek treatment.
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Types of Dysarthria
The type of dysarthria a person might have and the symptoms they experience are dependent on the part of the brain that is affected. According to the Handbook of Clinical Neurology (HCN), there are six major types of dysarthria, which include the following:
It is also possible for someone to be diagnosed with undetermined dysarthria.In such a case, symptoms point to dysarthria but do not fit any identified types.
Symptoms of Dysarthria
The symptoms will depend on the type of dysarthria you have. Some types will cause more severe symptoms.
In general, symptoms of dysarthria may include:
Because of the symptoms, a person with dysarthria might be harder to understand.
Dysarthria, on its own, typically does not affect intellectual ability or development, but its possible causes might.Speech problems might also affect a person’s interactions on the job, educational opportunities, and social situations.
Overcoming Speech Impediment: Symptoms to Treatment
Causes of Dysarthria
Dysarthria can be congenital or acquired.Congenital conditionsare present at birth, whereas acquired conditions can occur at any age due to an illness or injury.
Acquired dysarthria is the result of brain damage that occurs later in life. Examples might include stroke, a head injury, or progressive neurological disease like Parkinson’s. Acquired dysarthria conditions are common in adults.
In addition to congenital diseases and neurological, progressive conditions, dysarthria be a complication of other health conditions, including:
A traumatic brain injury,skull fracture, andtrauma to the neckcan also lead to dysarthria.
What Medications Can Cause Dysarthria?
There are medications that can lead to dysarthria as a side effect of their use. These include medicines that act on the central nervous systems, such asnarcoticsandanti-seizure drugslike Dilantin (phenytoin) and Tegretol (carbamazepine).
Someantipsychotic drugsmight also affect speech and lead to dysarthria. One 2015 studylooked at 140 patients on risperidone (92), olanzapine (28), aripiprazole (14), and clozapine (6) for three or more months.Here, researchers found the duration of use and the effect of some antipsychotic drugs can affect thepalate(roof of the mouth) and respiratory function leading to speech troubles.
The studied drugs were also found to affect noise-harmonic ratios (a measure of components of speech sounds) and could lead toextrapyramidal symptoms. Extrapyramidal symptoms include involuntary muscle contractions, tremors, stiff muscles, and involuntary facial movements.
How to Treat Dysarthria
The primary treatment for dysarthria isspeech and language therapy.With the help of a speech therapist, you might be able to regain your normal speech and improve communication.
A speech therapist can help you to work on:
Are There Tests to Diagnose the Cause of Dysarthria?
A healthcare provider would conduct a physical examination, medical history, imaging, and other tests to explore the underlying cause of dysarthria. They may refer you to specialists for further diagnosis and treatment.
Aspeech-language pathologistcan evaluate a person’s speech to determine what type of dysarthria they might have.Once a diagnosis is made, this specialist might suggest treatment options or refer you to aneurologist(specialist in conditions of the central nervous system) who will look for an underlying cause of your dysarthria.
Assessing for dysarthria includes:
If you are having speech troubles, you should reach out to your healthcare provider. Your provider can conduct testing to help determine the source of your symptoms and if treatment is necessary.
Summary
Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder that happens because of weakness in the muscles necessary for producing speech or due to damage to the nervous system. It can affect a person’s ability to produce and understand language.
Many congenital and acquired conditions can lead to dysarthria. It might also be a side effect of some medications, including antipsychotics and antiseizure drugs.
You should contact your healthcare provider if you experience signs of dysarthria. A speech pathologist can help diagnose a person’s dysarthria and make a referral to a neurologist if necessary.
If medication is the source of symptoms, stopping the drug or reducing the dose might help. Dysarthria is typically managed with speech therapy and addressing underlying causes.
A Word From Verywell
Speech problems might lead to anxiety, confidence issues, and frustration for the person affected and their loved ones. If you or a loved one is struggling to cope with the emotional and psychological effects of dysarthria, make an appointment with a mental health professional. Don’t go at it alone.
Learn MoreThe Most Common Orthopedic Injuries to Newborns During Childbirth
A person with dysarthria cannot control their voice box or tongue. Their speech might be slurred, mumbled, or sound robotic. They may speak too quickly, loudly, or quietly, or their voice might be hoarse, breathy, or nasally.Learn MoreTypes of Speech Therapy
A person with dysarthria cannot control their voice box or tongue. Their speech might be slurred, mumbled, or sound robotic. They may speak too quickly, loudly, or quietly, or their voice might be hoarse, breathy, or nasally.
Learn MoreTypes of Speech Therapy
People with two or more types of dysarthria typically are diagnosed with mixed dysarthria. This type is often seen in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) who experience spastic-flaccid dysarthria.Learn MoreWhat Is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)?
People with two or more types of dysarthria typically are diagnosed with mixed dysarthria. This type is often seen in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) who experience spastic-flaccid dysarthria.
Learn MoreWhat Is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)?
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Poole ML, Vogel AP.Chapter 42—Linking motor speech function and dementia. In: Martin CR, Preedy VRNeurology,Behavior, and Diet in Dementia, 1sted; 2020,
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Dysarthria in adults.
Sixt Börjesson M, Hartelius L, Laakso K.Communicative participation in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.Folia Phoniatr Logop. 2021;73(2):101-108. doi:10.1159/000505022
ShribergLD, Strand EA, Jakielski KJ, Mabie HL.Estimates of the prevalence of speech and motor speech disorders in persons with complex neurodevelopmental disorders.Clin Linguist Phon. 2019;33(8):707-736. doi:10.1080/02699206.2019.1595732
Mitchell C, Bowen A, Tyson S, Butterfint Z, Conroy P.Interventions for dysarthria due to stroke and other adult-acquired, non-progressive brain injury.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;1(1):CD002088. Published 2017 Jan 25. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002088.pub3
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.Dysarthria.
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