Page 3 - Dysarthria

Ÿ Individuals with Parkinson's disease, Multiple
sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease are vulnerable to
dysarthria during any stage of disease progression.

Ÿ Excessive intake of alcohol prevents absorption of
nutrients leading to its deciency in the brain cells.
This can destroy the brain cells and affects the brain
functioning. In chronic conditions, it can also result in
dysarthria
Ÿ Exposure to toxic substances such as lead, mercury,
etc. causes cell poisoning in brain resulting in cell
death
Ÿ Addiction to certain drugs (narcotics drugs): People
who are drug addicts are at high risk for dysarthria.

Characteristics of individuals with
dysarthria

An individual with dysarthria would have the following
characteristics-
Ÿ Muscle weakness of the facial region

Ÿ Restricted tongue, lips, and
jaw movements
Ÿ Difculty in breathing
Ÿ Change in voice quality
(hoarse, breathy, or strained
voice)
Ÿ Monotone "robotic" speech or extreme change in
pitch
Ÿ Mumbling or slurred speech
Ÿ Imprecise pronunciation of speech sounds
Ÿ Rapid deterioration of speech which improves after
rest
Ÿ Slow rate of speech

Ÿ Nasal sounding voice
Ÿ Difculty in chewing and swallowing