Spastic Dysarthria Flashcards
Spastic dysarthria is caused by:
Damage to the direct and indirect activation pathways of the CNS
Rarely is there only direct activation or indirect activation pathway damage because these tracts intermingle.
T or F
Typically, if the DAP is damaged, the IAP is also damaged
T
Spastic dysarthria involves the UMN or LMN?
UMN lesions are involved
We do not see as much CP anymore because?
Better pre and perinatal care
We no longer use forceps during birth
Is spasticity common with CP?
Yes
Why does spasticity cause weakness?
Because it is hard to move muscles that have so much tension and spasticity.
Spasticity is reflected in weakness and muscles that are hard to move – flaccid muscles are not hard to move.
Does unilateral damage to UMN usually cause severe symptoms?
No.
Unilateral lesions don’t have as severe affect because something is getting through on the side not affected – (there is usually bilateral innervation).
Does bilateral damage to UMN usually cause severe symptoms?
Yes.
Bilateral lesions are usually required to have significant dysarthria.
Reduced ROM results in:
imprecise consonants, inability to move tongue to articulators
Spastic dysarthria may also be referred to as:
pseudobulbar palsy
Which subsystems does spastic dysarthria effect?
All subsystems:
- repiratory
- phonatory
- resonatory
- articulatory
Damage to DAP results in:
reduction of skilled movement
Effects of Spasticity:
- Muscle weakness
- Slows movement and decreases ROM and force
- Too much muscle tone meaning contracted muscles
- Spasticity itself is a result of the hyperactivity of the stretch reflex
Primary Characteristic of Spastic Dysarthria:
Spasticity
All defining characteristics of Spastic Dysarthria (4):
- Spasticity
- Weakness
- Slow movements
- Reduced ROM
*There is slow movement because of the increased resistance to movement
Lesions of UMN system cause (6):
- Weakness
- Loss of skilled movements - With damage to the direct pathway you find the ability to produce fine, skilled movements, like those in speech, is affected or completely lost.
- Decreased tone - at first, the signs are of reduced muscle tone and weakness but as it progresses the signs change to increased muscle tone and spasticity.
- Hypertonia – see above
- Babinksi reflex - A positive Babinski reflex is a sign of UMN/direct pathway damage. To elicit this you stroke the bottom of the foot and the toes fan out with the large toe extending. This is an abnormal response in adults, but is normal in babies.
- Reflexes at first may be reduced but then become hyper.
Other abnormal reflexes seen with UMN damage are (3):
- Sucking
- Snout
- Jaw jerk reflex
What is the sucking reflex?
*An abnormal reflex seen with UMN damage
- Stroke the tongue blade across the upper lip starting at the side and move to the middle – do on both sides.
- Abnormal reflex is when there is pursing of lips. Normally nothing happens. In very exaggerated reflexes, the mouth may turn toward the tongue blade to result in a rooting reflex
What is the snout reflex?
*An abnormal reflex seen with UMN damage
– if you use tongue blade or finger to tap or push backward on tip of nose or philtrum (part between nose and upper lip) you see the bottom lip pull up
What is the jaw jerk reflex?
*An abnormal reflex seen with UMN damage
– have lips open and parted. Place a tongue blade or finger on the chin and tap with the other finger. Abnormal response is quick closing of the jaw
DAP damage (4):
Loss of fine, skilled movement
Hypotonia
Weakness (distal> proximal)
Absent adbominal reflexes
Direct pathway:
- Is also known as the pyramidal system because it passed through the pyramidal structures
- Part of the UMN system
- It sends messages to the LMN or FCP to tell them what to do.
2 Parts of the DAP:
Corticobulbar and corticospinal tracts
- Corticobulbar goes to the cranial
- Corticospinal goes to spinal nerves.
What would you commonly see with a brain-stem stroke? (2)
Problems with respiration
Problems with speech (flaccid dysarthria more likely, but can get spastic dysarthria)