Spastic Dysarthria

Question 1

What are the most distinctive speech characteristics of spastic dysarthria?

Answer 1

harsh voice; low pitch; pitch breaks; strained-strangled; slow rate (especially in ALS patients)

Question 2

What are other speech features associated with spastic dysarthria?

Answer 2

distorted vowels, hypernasality, imprecise consonants, short pauses, monopitch, monoloudness, reduced stress,

Question 3

What is spastic dysarthria caused by?

Answer 3

damage to corticobulbar/upper motor neurons (both direct and indirect pathways)

Question 4

The problem with spastic dysarthria is

Answer 4

neuromuscular execution

Question 5

Spastic dysarthria is characterized by

Answer 5

weakness; spasticity or tightness

Question 6

What is neural redundancy?

Answer 6

The muscles of the lower face and tongue receive contralateral innervation from the direct UMN pathway. The other muscles involved in speech and swallowing receive bilateral innervation from indirect and direct pathways.

Question 7

Dysphagia is associated with which type of dysarthria?

Answer 7

spastic dysarthria

Question 8

What other issues are common with spastic dysarthria?

Answer 8

cognitive or cognitive-communication disorders such as dementia and aphasia

Question 9

What are symptoms of UMN damage to the direct pathway?

Answer 9

decreased muscle tone initially and then becomes hypertonic; loss of skilled movement; hyporeflexia; release of primitive reflexes (e.g., babinski reflext; jaw reflex)

Question 10

What are symptoms of UMN damage to the indirect pathway?

Answer 10

spasticitiy; hyperactive stretch reflexes; clonus; decerebrate or decorticate posture; increased muscle tone

Question 11

What complaints may a pt with spastic dysarthria make?

Answer 11

slow; effortful speech with resistance; fatigue when talking; cannot speak quickly and must speak slowly

Question 12

What movement parameters distinguish spastic dysarthria from flaccid dysarthria?

Answer 12

loss of skilled movement, weakness, spasticity, slowness, and hyperreflexia

Question 13

What are 3 possible etiologies of spastic dysarthria?

Answer 13

cerebral palsy, primary lateral scleroisis and pseudobulbar palsy

Question 14

What are other symptoms of spastic dysarthria?

Answer 14

reduced facial expression, unable to control their laughing or smiling, swallowing issues, drooling, clonus, primitive reflexes