Neurological Speech Disorders

Neurological disorders refer to impairments in the functions of the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, muscles and nerves. They may reduce the body's ability to move and speak, and may cause loss of coordination and balance. Neurological speech disorders are those that affect a person's speech ability, according to Speechdisorder.co.uk.

Types

• There are several classifications of neurological speech disorders. The first classification, aphasia, is a condition resulting from damage to the speech centers of the brain. It causes an individual to lose the ability to produce or understand language, including the ability to read or write.

  According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), aphasia can be mild or severe. Mild aphasia patients may be able to speak but may have difficulties in finding the right word or following complex discussions. Those with severe aphasia have limited ability to express themselves.

  The second classification, apraxia of speech, also referred to as dyspraxia, makes a person unable to verbally express himself consistently and correctly. Acquired apraxia of speech can occur at any age, but mostly affects adults of either sex. The main cause is damage to the portions of the language centers in the brain. It may be experienced as a result of a brain tumor, head injury or other impairment on the brain. Developmental apraxia of speech (DAS) is often found in children and usually acquired from birth. Children with DAS generally are able to understand language efficiently but are unable to correctly produce words, syllables and sounds.

  The third classification, dysprosody, also referred to as pseudo-foreign dialect, is identified by changes in the intensity, timing and rhythm, intonation and cadence of words. The speaker's accent and patterns of speech is basically altered. Dysprody is the rarest type of neurological disorders.

  The fourth one, Friedreich's ataxia, is an inherited disease that results to a progressive damage to the nervous system, often causing muscle coordination failure and dysarthia, where speech is slowed and/or slurred.

Symptoms

• Each neurological speech disorder presents its own set of symptoms, but most patients speak unrecognizable words or speak in short/incomplete sentences or sentences that do not make sense. They have trouble putting words in the correct order. People with neurological speech disorder also do not usually understand what other people say.

  According to the National Institue of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), children with developmental apraxia of speech will also have other language problems like poor vocabulary and incorrect grammar. Many of them have difficulty in comprehending spoken information and have problems with reading, writing and spelling.

Causes

• Neurological speech disorders are caused by neurological disorders, some of which are congenital, while others can be caused by damage to the nervous system due to diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, brain tumor or infection, physical or emotional trauma, disrupted blood flow to the brain, degeneration or structural defects. Drugs and alcohol can also cause them.

Treatment

• Treatment of neurological speech disorders depend upon the extent of the damage to the nervous system. The treatment plan needs to consider the prognosis of the disorder before estimating how much improvement can be made. They can be difficult to treat often and results are devastating.

  In most neurological speech disorders, language therapy must start as soon as possible and must be designed to fit the patient's particular needs. Rehabilitation with the help of a speech pathologist must include extensive exercises wherein patients are allowed to read, write, follow directions and repeat what they hear.

Effects

• A speech disorder not only affects an individual's functions. Those suffering from neurological speech disorder may have decreased self-esteem. This can cause many patients to be shy and avoid further social contacts that could help them overcome their speech disorders.