Changes in speech charactersitics post thymoma

<p class="abstract">Thymomas are rare tumors of the anterior mediastinum that may be benign or malignant. Thymomas are frequently associated with neuromuscular disorders like myasthenia gravis. Multiple cranial nerves are involved which may affect speech of the patients. Flaccid dysarthria is one of the common motor speech disorders associated with thymoma. Other characteristics may include decrease of intelligibility, reduced vocal stamina, reduction of emotional expressivity etc. The present case study illustrates changes in speech characteristics in a 35 year old male patient with thymoma associated with myasthenia gravis. Detailed speech assessment was done which revealed deviant speech patterns like vocal tremors, decreased loudness, hypernasality etc. The aim of the study was to document speech characteristics in a known case of thymoma associated with myasthenia gravis.</p>

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Neurologic Substrates of Motor Speech Disorders

Perspectives on Neurophysiology and Neurogenic Speech and Language Disorders ◽

10.1044/nnsld23.3.98 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 98-104 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Edythe A. Strand

Keyword(s):

Differential Diagnosis ◽

Signs And Symptoms ◽

Speech Disorders ◽

Apraxia Of Speech ◽

Motor Speech ◽

Motor Speech Disorders ◽

Clinical Observations ◽

Speech Characteristics ◽

Communicative Disorders ◽

Language Behavior

A good clinical understanding of the neurologic substrates of neurologic communicative disorders is important both to diagnosis and treatment. This article briefly reviews neurologic substrates for motor speech disorders (MSD) and how clinicians may identify neurologic signs and symptoms to facilitate differential diagnosis of apraxia of speech (AOS) and the various types of dysarthria. Students and clinicians have numerous resources regarding general neuroanatomy and neurophysiology (e.g. Benarroch, 2006; Kandel, Schwartz, and Jessel, 1991; Nolte, 2002; Snell, 1997) as well as neuroanatomic correlates of speech-language behavior and disorders (Bhatnagar, 2012; Duffy, 2013). Articles on aspects of neuroimaging (Brown, Petersen and Schlaggar, 2003; Shuster, 2003) and neurologic substrates for MSDs (Farinella-Bocian, Strand, and Benarroch, 2007) are also available in previous editions of Perspectives. This article begins with an overview of the differing MSDs. A brief overview of neurologic systems is provided, followed by a more detailed description of the neurologic substrates for MSDs. Examples of clinical observations of speech and non-speech characteristics that can aid the clinician in understanding the underlying neural deficit are provided.

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Visualizing the Knowledge Domain of Motor Speech Disorders: A Scientific Review (2000-2019)

Chinese Journal of Applied Linguistics ◽

10.1515/cjal-2021-0035 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 44 (4) ◽

pp. 563-588

Author(s):

Huili Wang ◽

Shurong Zhang ◽

Xueyan Li

Keyword(s):

Neurological Diseases ◽

Speech Disorders ◽

Apraxia Of Speech ◽

Childhood Apraxia Of Speech ◽

Knowledge Domain ◽

Motor Speech ◽

Scientific Review ◽

Motor Speech Disorders ◽

Motor Delay ◽

Speech Characteristics

Abstract This review visualizes the knowledge domain of motor speech disorders (MSDs) in linguistics between 2000 and 2019 by means of scientometric methods. With topic searches, the study collected 869 bibliographic records and 20, 411 references from Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) of Thomson Reuter. The clustered and visualized document co-citation network of the MSDs knowledge domain in CiteSpace identifies 15 research foci in different periods, including apraxia of speech, acoustics, children, technology, aphemia, childhood apraxia of speech, primary progressive aphasia, speech motor delay, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, rhythm, foreign accent syndrome, phonation, phonological awareness, dose and speech perception. Revolving around linguistics, these foci could be divided into studies on speech characteristics of MSDs in terms of phonology and phonetics, remedies for MSDs in terms of neurolinguistics and acoustic phonetics, dysarthria secondary to neurological diseases based on pathological linguistics, subtypes of apraxia of speech, methods of MSDs based on auditory phonetics and a newly recognized subtype of MSDs. Meanwhile, the emerging trends of MSDs in linguistics are detected by the analysis of reference citation bursts, suggesting growing research in remedies for MSDs with the focus on assessments and effectiveness of treatments, speech characteristics and indexes of dysarthria secondary to neurological diseases and assistance to diagnose apraxia of speech. To sum up, the review has indicated that the acoustic measures to assess MSDs and acoustic remedies for dysarthria may not only be the past foci but also be future trends.

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Speech Deterioration of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Before and After Diagnosis: A Case Study of a Newscaster

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/2019_pers-sig19-2019-0005 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (5) ◽

pp. 1189-1198

Author(s):

Emily Watkins ◽

Austin Thompson ◽

Yunjung Kim

Keyword(s):

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽

Speech Disorders ◽

Formant Frequency ◽

Motor Speech ◽

Motor Speech Disorders ◽

Vowel Space ◽

Before And After ◽

Second Formant ◽

Lateral Sclerosis

Purpose This case study traced speech deterioration in an individual before and after the time of diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Our participant was diagnosed with spinal-onset, familial ALS in 2017. The speaker's occupation, a professional newscaster for 37 years, allowed a retrospective examination of her speech during news segments over 37 months around the diagnosis, including prediagnosis. Method A total of 6 time points were selected to track auditory-perceptual and acoustic speech deterioration (2 years, 14 months, and 7 months prior to diagnosis; the month of diagnosis; and 7 months and 12 months after diagnosis). For perceptual ratings, 2 experts in motor speech disorders rated 17 speech dimensions on a 7-point scale. Four acoustic parameters were chosen for measurement: articulation rate, utterance duration, second formant frequency slope, and acoustic vowel space. Additionally, kinematic data were obtained from 1 time-point (8 months postdiagnosis) and descriptively compared to the movement of other individuals with ALS and to healthy speakers. Results As expected, both perceptual and acoustic results indicated a decline in the selected speech measures as the disease progressed. More interestingly, the measures showed a consistent curvilinear appearance in which the speech parameters exhibit an improvement until immediately before and around the diagnosis, followed by sudden, drastic deterioration. Kinematic results indicated a greater degree of movement and speed compared to healthy speakers, probably due to the speaker's occupation. Conclusions Based on the findings, the time around diagnosis is considered a critical period with respect to speech deterioration in ALS wherein a dynamic, increasing–decreasing pattern of changes occur. This finding appears to reflect the patient's compensatory strategies and the speech deficits associated with bulbar involvement.

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A Case-Based Approach to Teaching Evidence-Based Practice and Motor Speech Disorders

Contemporary Issues in Communication Science and Disorders ◽

10.1044/cicsd_36_f_123 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 37 (Fall) ◽

pp. 123-130 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Ben Bloom

Keyword(s):

Evidence Based Practice ◽

Speech Disorders ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Motor Speech ◽

Motor Speech Disorders ◽

Approach To Teaching ◽

Case Based

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The Labeling Problem in Aphasia

Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders ◽

10.1044/jshd.5102.176 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 51 (2) ◽

pp. 176-180 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Audrey L. Holland ◽

Davida Fromm ◽

Carol S. Swindell

Keyword(s):

Speech Disorders ◽

Case Description ◽

Test Results ◽

Apraxia Of Speech ◽

Poor Agreement ◽

Motor Speech ◽

Motor Speech Disorders ◽

Communication Difficulties ◽

Token Test ◽

Primary Problem

Twenty-five "experts" on neurogenic motor speech disorders participated in a tutorial exercise. Each was given information on M, a patient who had communication difficulties as the result of stroke, and asked to complete a questionnaire about his problem. The information included a detailed case description, an audiotape of M's speech obtained at 4, 9, 13, and 17 days post-stroke, and test results from the Western Aphasia Battery, the Token Test, and a battery for apraxia of speech. The experts were in excellent agreement on M's primary problem, although it was called by seven different names. The experts were in poor agreement on his secondary problem(s), e.g., the presence and type of aphasia and dysarthria. The results suggest that labeling is difficult, even for "experts." Furthermore, the practicing clinician needs to be sensitive to the likelihood of more than one coexisting problem.

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