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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffDysarthria is a condition that results in distorted speech. The cause is difficulty controlling or coordinating the muscles you use when you speak, or weakness of those muscles. Dysarthria often is characterized by slurred or slow speech that can be difficult to understand.
Common causes of dysarthria include stroke, brain injury, brain tumor, conditions that cause facial paralysis or weakness, and degenerative disorders. Dysarthria may also be caused by certain medications, such as sedatives or narcotics.
Treatment of dysarthria is directed at the underlying cause when possible, which may improve speech. Speech therapy often helps people with dysarthria improve speech. If dysarthria is caused by prescription medications, changing or discontinuing the medications may help.
- Dysarthria. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/dysarthria/. Accessed Jan. 26, 2010.
- Swanberg MM, et al. Speech and language. In: Goetz CG. Textbook of Clinical Neurology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007.
- Dysarthria: Causes and number. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/DysarthriaCauses.htm. Accessed Jan. 27, 2010.
- Treatment efficacy summary, dysarthria. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. http://www.asha.org/uploadedFiles/public/TESDysarthria.pdf. Accessed Jan. 26, 2010.
- Cohen SM, et al. Palliative treatment of dysphonia and dysarthria. Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America. 2009;42:107.
- Ropper AH, et al. Disorders of speech and language. In: Ropper AH, et al. Adams and Victor's Neurology. 9th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2009.
- Coehlo C, et al. Evidence for effectiveness of treatment of loudness, rate, or prosody in dysarthria: A systematic review. Journal of Medical Speech-Language Pathology. 2007;15:xi.
- Duffy JR. Managing the dysarthrias. In: Duffy JR. Motor Speech Disorders: Substrates, Differential Diagnosis and Management. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2005:465.
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