Considering Dysarthria: A Speech Disorder 'On the Margins'
The goal of this paper is to portray dysarthria, a language impairment, as a disorder that is "on the margins" of the category of speech disorders. The argumentation will be that since dysarthria shares common underlying neurological causes with motor diseases rather than with other language impairments, it is set apart from other language impairments and evidence for the overlap of the motor modality with the language modality.
Language is arguably one if not the most complex functions produced by the human brain, and one that is all but transparent as to the underlying neurological structures and processes in that so much is going on at the same time that it is hard to tell what is what. What we do know is that there are different areas of representation for different aspects of language. An area in the left hemisphere above the perisylvian fissure in the frontal lobe anterior to the motor cortex roughly controls production and fluency of speech; another area, in the temporal lobe of the same hemisphere roughly controls comprehension and word retrieval. Other regions next to and between these areas carry related functions, and lesioning to them results in variations of the symptoms caused by lesioning one of the central regions described above(1)..
These areas are known to us as the "language areas." However, they can be completely intact in a person that is suffering from severe language impairment. Are there other "language areas" then? Strictly speaking, no, loosely speaking, yes. Language is more than a mental function where structures are established, words are retrieved and sound associations are made. The final execution of language is purely a question of complex motor control.
Disruption of this complex interaction of motor signals towards the formation of speech is known as dysarthria (2). It is sometimes confused with impairment resulting from injury to the "language areas" (1), illustrating the point that the process of producing language is multi-layered, and that it is often hard to tell what is what.
The symptoms of dysarthria may be slurred speech, nasality of sound, or quiet and slow speech (3).. These different impairments reflect the sub-sections in the 'motor symphony' that produces speech: The lips, tongue, teeth and jaw shape specific sounds; the soft palate channels air into either the nasal or oral cavity, producing different sound qualities; the larynx (voice box) makes the air vibrate through the vocal folds to create voice; and finally, the respiratory system powers this process (3).
Flaccid dysarthria results from damage to the lower motor neurons (LMN) or the peripheral nervous system (Hageman, 1997). The characteristics of flaccid dysarthria generally reflect damage to cranial nerves with motor speech functions (e.g., cranial nerves IX, X, XI and XII) (Seikel, King & Drumright, 2010). Lower motor neurons connect the central nervous system to the muscle fibers; from the brainstem to the cranial nerves with motor function, or from the anterior horns of grey matter to the spinal nerves (Murdoch, 1998). If there are lesions to spinal nerves and the cranial nerves with motor speech functions, it is indicative of a lower motor neuron lesion and flaccid dysarthria. Damage to lower motor neurons that supply the speech muscles is also known as bulbar palsy (Pena-Brooks & Hedge, 2007). Potential etiologies of flaccid dysarthria include spinal cord injury, cerebrovascular accidents, tumors or traumatic brain injury (Pena-Brooks & Hedge, 2007). Possible congenital etiologies of flaccid dysarthria include Moebius syndrome and cerebral palsy. Flaccid dysarthria can also arise from infections such as polio, herpes zoster, and secondary infections to AIDS (Pena-Brooks & Hedge, 2007). Additionally, demyelinating diseases such as Guilian-Barre syndrome and myotonic muscular dystrophy can also lead to flaccid dysarthria (Pena-Brookes & Hedge, 2007). The lower motor neuron lesion results in loss of voluntary muscle control, and an inability to maintain muscle tone. Fasciculations, or twitching movements, may occur if the cell body is involved in the lesion (Seikel et. al., 2010). The primary speech characteristics of flaccid dysarthria include imprecise consonant production, hypernasal resonance, breathiness, and harsh voice (...
In the early stage of human life, an infant who is in their mother’s womb has already experienced communicating their language through actions by responding to their mother’s voice by kicking. Hence communicating their language will then expand from just limited actions to words as they develop throughout the years. And the four structural Language components; phonology, semantics, grammar and pragmatics will be involved during the stages of their language development and these components are significantly supported by the roles of nature and nurture. Fellowes & Oakley (2014, p. 21) ‘The phonological component of language comprises the various sounds that are used in speaking.
Shakespeare, William. The Norton Shakespeare. Ed Stephen Greenblatt, et al. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1997.
Wernicke’s Aphasia is a communication disorder that affects one’s comprehension, therefore affecting language of both written and spoken language. Wernicke’s Aphasia is also known as fluent aphasia because individuals that have this disorder usually, for the most part, can typically express themselves using syntax and grammar but have a hard time doing it meaningfully through speech. Physiologically, when they speak, they do not realize that their speech is usually grammatically incorrect and lacks meaning behind it. People with this disorder have a hard time with auditory processing, fluently speaking, and poor repetition of what was previously said to them. Anatomically speaking, when one has Wernicke’s Aphasia this typically means that there
The motivation and tendency of people to forgive others remains an important topic of discussion. In today’s society most people at some period have experienced feeling of un forgiveness towards friend, or relatives. “Forgiveness was defined as the ability to relinquish of resentment towards others” (Baskin & Enright, 2004, p. 80).
The Phonological Deficit and Magnocellular theory are two of the most dominant theories in dyslexic research. Various theories have been suggested to explain the nature and origin of dyslexia, however, they often served as additional support for either the phonological or magnocellular theories. The Double Deficit theory suggested that dyslexic symptoms were the result of speed-processing (7). The Genomic theory posed that dyslexia was a highly heritable disorder that can be localized to a specific genetic component, Finally, the Cerebellar Deficit theory suggested that dyslexia was the result of an abnormal cerebellum exist (2). With the constant debate of the biological nature versus the cognitive natur...
Aphasia can be defined as a disorder that is caused by damage to parts of the brain that are responsible for language (“Aphasia” n.p.). Wernicke’s aphasia is a type of fluent aphasia (with the other type being nonfluent). It is named after Carl Wernicke who described the disorder as “an amnesiac disorder characterized by fluent but disordered speech, with a similar disorder in writing, and impaired understanding of oral speech and reading” (“Wernicke’s” n.p.). Wernicke’s aphasia can also be known as sensory aphasia, fluent aphasia, or receptive aphasia. It is a type of aphasia that is caused by damage to Wernicke’s area in the brain, in the posterior part of the temporal lobe of the left hemisphere. This area of the brain contains motor neurons responsible for the understanding of spoken language and is believed to be the receptive language center (“Rogers” n.p.). Wernicke’s aphasia can be most efficiently defined as a fluent language disorder commonly caused by strokes and characterized by difficulty comprehending spoken language and producing meaningful speech and writing which is both assessable by an SLP and treatable by a variety of methods.
In the article “Do Negative Cognitive Styles Confer Vulnerability to Depression?” by Lauren B. Alloy, Lyn Y. Abramson, and Erika L. Francis, they explain how negative cognitive styles confer vulnerability to depression when people confront negative life experiences. Depression is a serious psychological health disorder, with significant penalties in terms of human distress, lost productivity, and even fatalities. Up to date estimates suggest that 16% of the population will experience an event of depression at some time in their lives. Furthermore, people who experience a major depressive event are at increased risk for future episodes, with each episode significantly increasing risk for following episodes. Given this public health significance, significant research interest has been devoted to understanding essential causes of depression.
Dyslexia is one of several distinct learning disabilities. It is a specific language based disorder of constitutional origin characterized by difficulties in single word decoding, usually reflecting insufficient phonological processing abilities. These difficulties in single word decoding are often unexpected in relation to age and other cognitive and academic abilities; they are not the result of generalized developmental disability or sensory impairment. Dyslexia is manifest by ...
First, Williams birth and family. It is said that William Shakespeare was born around April 23, 1564, in Stratford on Avon. The exact date of his birth is unknown, but people say around the 23 of April because he was baptized at the Holy Trinity church on April 26. Back then most baptisms took place about three days after a child was born.
"Shakespeare, William." Elizabethan World Reference Library. Ed. Sonia G. Benson and Jennifer York Stock. Vol. 2: Biographies. Detroit: UXL, 2007. 197-207. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.
Stuttering is a disorder of oral communication and it is characterized by disruptions in the production of speech sounds, also called "disfluencies" (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2014). It usually emerges in childhood and affects around 5% of the population (Guitar, 2006), even though there is some variation in the incidence of stuttering in different studies. During infancy, it is common for children to present dysfluency because of the complex process of language acquisition and development. These disfluencies are normal and tend to disappear in 80% of the children, however for some it may evolve into a chronic state that is called developmental stuttering. Stuttering can also occur in two other circumstances, from injuries, which is called acquired or neurogenic stuttering and another one, involving psychological aspects (Oliveira et. al., 2012). Perkins, Kent and Curlee (1991) focused on the theories to explain the possible causes of disfluency and theorized that speech disruption and time pressure are the two important variables that may account for the stuttered dysfluency.
In the last few decades, the notion of language and brain has been highlighted in different scientific fields such as: neurology, cognitive science, linguistics biology, technology and finally education.
Communication is very crucial in life, especially in education. Whether it be delivering a message or receiving information, without the ability to communicate learning can be extremely difficult. Students with speech and language disorders may have “trouble producing speech sounds, using spoken language to communicate, or understanding what other people say” (Turkington, p10, 2003) Each of these problems can create major setbacks in the classroom. Articulation, expression and reception are all essential components for communication. If a student has an issue with articulation, they most likely then have difficulty speaking clearly and at a normal rate (Turkington, 2003). When they produce words, they may omit, substitute, or even distort sounds, hindering their ability to talk. Students who lack in ways of expression have problems explaining what they are thinking and feeling because they do not understand certain parts of language. As with all types of learning disabilities, the severity can range. Two extreme cases of expression disorders are dysphasia and aphasia, in which there is partial to no communication at all (Greene, 435, 2002). Individuals can also have a receptive disorder, in which they do not fully comprehend and understand information that is being given to them. They can experience problems making sense of things. “Children may hear or see a word but not be able to understand its meaning” (National Institutes of Health, 1993, p1). Whether children have difficulty articulating speech, expressing words, receiving information, or a combination of the three, there is no doubt that the tasks given to them in school cause frustration. These children experience anxiety when...
As Zack has done research on forgiveness as well, he states, “…studies show people unwilling to extend forgiveness to someone who has done them harm will often withdraw from social relationships and tend to experience deep loneliness,” (Carter, 2017). Along with that, for one to still have hurt and negative feelings, can add to stress, which has a huge impact on our bodies physically and emotionally. The stress of unforgiving feelings can take tolls on the body, leading to health problems that shouldn’t be around, and also can slow down the process to moving on with life. But when one can forgive, going through with the process, “…extending forgiveness was essential to personal healing,” (Carter, 2017). The process of forgiving, comes with the ability to walk away knowing, one’s self will heal in time. No more harboring negative