Theodoros, D.G., Shrapnel, N., & Murdoch, B.E. (1998). Motor speech impairment following traumatic brain injury in childhood: A physiological and perceptual analysis of one case. Pediatric Rehabilitation, 2(3), 107-122. Type of Study Case study with control Subjects 1 male; age 14; 12 months post-injury 1 gender-matched, age-matched control Diagnoses Severe TBI Normal control Speech Condition 2.5 months post-injury-gestures, non-verbal, pictures 5 months post-injury-single word approximations, word/phrase letter communication display, Canon communicator 7 months post-injury-moderate dysarthria Purpose To obtain a comprehensive physiological and perceptual profile of the motor speech mechanism in a child with acquired dysarthria from a severe TBI To discuss treatment options Methods Respiratory function assessed with clinical spirometry and kinematic assessment of chest wall movements Laryngeal function assessed with electroglottography (EGG) Velopharyngeal function assessed with modified nasal accelerometric technique from Horii (1980) HONC index for nasality Articulatory function assessed with lip and tongue pressure transducers Dysarthria assessed with Assessment of Intelligibility of Dysarthric Speech Results Deficits in respiration, phonation, resonance, articulation, and prosody Physiologic impairment in respiratory, laryngeal, velopharyngeal, and articulatory subsystems Decreased speech rate, reduced pitch variability, consonant imprecision Speech impairments contributing to dysarthria-severely reduced tongue function, moderately reduced lip, velopharyngeal, and laryngeal function, mild-moderately decreased respiratory function Perceptual and instrumental methods useful Treatment Implications Target tongue and lip strength, endurance and rapid movements, adequate pressure for speech articulation with traditional therapy and for biofeedback Next target increasing phonatory effort, vocal function exercises, and speech breathing   Assessment Treatment Speech Characteristics Books and Book Chapters Instruments Other Links Search Home   To return to the Abstract References, click on Assessment , Treatment  , or Speech Characteristics or use your browser to go Back.