Dg. Theodoros et al., VARIABILITY IN THE PERCEPTUAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL FEATURES OF DYSARTHRIA FOLLOWING SEVERE CLOSED-HEAD INJURY - AN EXAMINATION OF 5 CASES, Brain injury, 9(7), 1995, pp. 671-696
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.