dysarthria
Motor speech disorder affecting articulation, phonation, and speech intelligibility due to neurological damage.
Full Definition
Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder resulting from neurological damage that affects the muscular control of speech production mechanisms including respiration, phonation, articulation, resonance, and prosody. Unlike aphasia, which involves language processing difficulties, dysarthria specifically impacts the motor execution of speech while language comprehension and formulation remain intact. The condition can range from mild articulation difficulties to complete unintelligibility, significantly impacting communication and quality of life. Speech-language pathologists assess and treat dysarthria using techniques such as breath support exercises, oral motor strengthening, rate modification, and augmentative communication strategies.
Usage
Usage note: Distinguish from aphasia (language disorder) and apraxia of speech (motor planning disorder).
In Context
- "The patient's dysarthria severely impacted speech intelligibility following the brainstem stroke." — Speech-language pathology assessment
- "Dysarthria treatment focused on breath support and articulatory precision." — Therapy progress documentation