VARIABILITY IN THE PERCEPTUAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL FEATURES OF DYSARTHRIA FOLLOWING SEVERE CLOSED-HEAD INJURY - AN EXAMINATION OF 5 CASES

The perceptual and physiological features of the dysarthric speech of five severely closed-head-injured (CHI) subjects were examined in a ca se-by-case analysis. The five male CHI subjects included in the study were selected to reflect the range of severity and types of dysarthria evident in the CHI population. The perceptual profiles of each subjec t consisted of the findings of a perceptual speech analysis, the Frenc hay Dysarthria Assessment (FDA) and the Assessment of the Intelligibil ity of Dysarthric Speakers (ASSIDS). The subjects' physiological profi les included the results of instrumental assessments of the respirator y, laryngeal, velopharyngeal and articulatory subsystems of the speech -production mechanism. The case studies highlighted the variability am ong the individual subjects with respect to the location, physiologica l nature, and severity of the impairment in their speech-production me chanisms. In addition, the interdependence of the various speech subsy stems in determining speech outcome, the presence of differential subs ystem impairment in dysarthria following CHI, and the varied therapeut ic requirements ofthe individual subjects were identified. Clinically, the case studies highlighted the importance of developing individual treatment programmes based on comprehensive perceptual and physiologic al evaluations of the speech mechanism in each CHI subject with dysart hric speech.