Speech Disorders

Question 1

Functions needed for phonation

Answer 1

Mechanical factors affecting vocal cords, larynx

Breathing

Question 2

Dysarthria

Answer 2

Affects mv of speech muscles => ARTICULATION AFFECTED

• slurring => unintelligible speech
• irregularities of rate, rhythm
• no difficulty finding the words/word choice errors

Can affect muscles of articulation, NMJ, CN9, 10, 11, motor cortex, cerebellum, BG

Often accompanies dysphagia as similar muscles affected

Question 3

Aphasia

Answer 3

Loss of ability to produce and/or understand language
-includes reading and writing

Complex network mainly in the L hemisphere

Most commonly caused by strokes

Question 4

Examining aphasia

Answer 4

Ask them to describe what is happening in a picture

Fluency - sentences? rhythm?
Content - is it appropriate
Repetition -
Naming -
Comprehension - can they understand others
General neuro exam needed

Question 5

Broca’s aphasia

Answer 5

Most commonly caused by left ant MCA infarct

Symptoms

• loss of fluency, articulation slow and effortful
• agrammatic
• cannot repeat complex sentences
• impaired comprehension of complex sentences

Question 6

Wernicke’s aphasia

Answer 6

Most commonly caused by left post MCA infarct

Symptoms

• fluent, melody, intonation preserved
• nonsensical speech
• lack of awareness over deficit
• poor comprehension

Question 7

Degenerative aphasia syndromes

Answer 7

Syndromes of slowly progressive aphasia without other features of generalised dementia

Progressive non fluent aphasia (production of speech affected) - FTLD
Semantic (hard to understand what objects are) dementia - FTLD
Logapenic aphasia (can’t find the words but knows the meaning) - AD