Ataxic dysarthria Flashcards
What is the primary problem associated with Ataxic dysarthria?
motor control (breakdown in timing and coordination)
Out of all the speech systems, which systems would be most impacted by ataxic dysarthria?
articulation and prosody
Signs of lesions to the cerebellum include
ataxia, nystagmus, in-coordination, hypotonia, and intention tremor
What can cause ataxic dysarthria?
surgical removal of a posterior fossa tumor; radiation therapy; multiple sclerosis; degenerative diseases (e.g., ALS), alcohol consumption, damange to the superior cerebellar artery
A person with ataxic dysarthria may complain of
sounding drunk as they speak; their speech declines even with limited alcohol consumption; may bite their teeth or tongue as they speak; no issue with swallowing (if so then it is mild); struggle to control their speaking with breathing
What are the most distinctive features of ataxic dysarthria?
irregular breakdowns of articulation; excess and equal stress; prolonged phonemes
What are other speech features of ataxic dysarthria?
imprecise consonants, harsh voice, slow rate, prolonged intervals, monopitch, distorted vowels
What are 3 possible etiologies of Ataxic dysarthria?
Friedrich’s Ataxia, vascular diseases that damage to purkinje fibers, and multiple sclerosis
What are functions of the cerebellum?
balance, posture, coordinates rapid movements such as articulation subconsciously since it’s connected to cerebral hemisphere.
3 major symptoms of cerebellar damage are:
inaccurate voluntary movements; slowness of movement; hypotonia
What is the function of Purkinje cells?
correct or fine-tune a motor movement that’s being performed in the process.
Describe lateralization of motor control as it relates to the cerebellar control circuit.
The cerebral cortex projects into the pons and then the pons communicates to the opposite side of the cerebellar cortex.
