Dysarthria

Slurring of speech is usually noticed by family members or friends before patients. It is usually associated with swallowing difficulty due to dual function of the tongue and due to frequent involvement of the tongue and pharyngeal muscles together. Dysphagia usually precedes dysarthria in myasthenia gravis and follows it in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS). Spastic dysarthria in the absence of tongue atrophy and fasciculations is a diagnostic challenge. Cerebellar dysarthria can be sorted out by its irregularity and the presence of other cerebellar sings such as ataxia and nystagmus. In advanced cases, anarthria becomes a total communication barrier and other means of communications should be established. This chapter describes features and presentations of different types of dysarthria.