What is dysarthria?

4 May 2021

It is a speech disorder in which the muscles of the face and mouth weaken causing problems to articulate spoken language, which can force oneself to express slowly and confusedly, making it difficult to understand what is being said.

Dysarthria usually appears due to neurological disorders, facial paralysis, conditions that weaken the tongue, throat, and upper respiratory system, as well as the intake of certain drugs that cause this effect.

If the origin of the disorder is identified and treated appropriately, the ability to speak improves significantly, although speech therapy is also often required to achieve clearer articulation and expression. There are several possible causes for the appearance of this disorder, such as:

Brain injuries.
Brain tumors.
Cerebral palsy.
Sedatives
Anticonvulsants.
Multiple sclerosis.
Muscle atrophy.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Parkinson’s.
Stroke.

Signs and symptoms Dysarthria

Slow language articulation.
Confused speech difficult to understand.
Too high or too low volume when speaking.
Speak very quickly and almost without opening your mouth.
Nasal and hoarse voice.
Changing rhythm when uttering words.
Limited mobility of the lips, jaw, and tongue.
Salivate when speaking.
Chewing and swallowing problems.

In many cases, dysarthria can be a manifestation of some serious condition, so if you have any of the symptoms mentioned, go to your doctor to discover its origin and start treating it immediately, avoiding complications, communication problems, social isolation, and depression.

Diagnosis and treatment Dysarthria

Once the neurologist analyzes your symptoms and clinical history, they will perform a physical examination to determine the cause of the dysarthria, based on tests such as:

Blood and urine tests.
Electromyography.
Electroencephalogram.
MRI.
Computed tomography.
Lumbar puncture.
Neuropsychological evaluation.

They will also refer you to a speech therapist to assess your ability to speak and help identify the type of dysarthria you suffer from.

The treatment to be followed will be established according to the direct cause, the type of dysarthria and the magnitude of the symptoms, but in all cases, once the cause has been addressed, it will be necessary to receive speech therapy to normalize the muscular and articulatory function of the speech.

At the Neurological Center, a select group of highly trained and certified doctors in the various neurological specialties are ready to assist you with the quality and warmth that characterizes us.

Nervous system specialties

Neurology
Neurosurgery
Spine surgery
Pediatric neurosurgery
Neurophysiology
Neuro-rehabilitation
Neuro-pathology
Interventional neuro-radiology
Neuropsychology
Neuro-oncology
Neuro-otology
Epilepsy
Neuro-ophthalmology
Neuroimaging

Related centers and departments Dysarthria

Neurology Center
High Specialty Surgery Center
Radiology and Molecular Imaging
Clinical Laboratory

Fuentes:

clevelandclinic.org
topdoctors.es
mayocilinic.org
medlineplus.gov
asha.org
medigraphic.com
Sánchez SM, Pérez PN, Marrero SNT, et al. Neurorehabilitación logopédica en niños con parálisis cerebral y disartria asociada. Revista de Ciencias Médicas de la Habana. 2021;28(1):16-28.
Gutiérrez-Castillo A, Jiménez-Ruiz A, Gutiérrez-Castillo J, et al. Síndrome lacunar disartria-mano torpe. Med Int Mex. 2021;37(4):619-622.
Villegas TN, Jiménez TP. Propuesta terapéutica del agramatismo en niños con parálisis cerebral. Plasticidad y Restauración Neurológica. 2004;3(1-2):9-14.
Seijo VMH, Duany MT. Disarthria and rehabilitation: a look from the primary health care. Rev Méd Electrón. 2015;37(2):162-164.

How can we help you?

The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the Saludora Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.

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Comparison of COVID-19 vaccines

Pfizer-
BioNTech

Pfizer-BioNTech

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vaccine type: mRNA
Effectiveness: 95% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

No Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 21 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

Who should or shouldn’t get the vaccine?
People who should receive the vaccine are those over 16 years old.
People who should not receive the vaccine are those who have a history of anaphylactic shock (severe allergy) or who are allergic to any component of this vaccine such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) or polysorbate.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever, nausea, malaise, and swollen lymph nodes.

How long will it take for me to be protected and what does it protect me from?
After 14 days of having the complete scheme (after the administration of the 2nd dose), the protection period is still under study. It protects us from serious COVID-19 or requiring hospitalization.

Moderna

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vaccine type: mRNA
Effectiveness: 94.5% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 28 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

Who should or shouldn’t get the vaccine?
People who should receive the vaccine are those over 18 years old.
People who should not receive the vaccine are those who have a history of anaphylactic shock (severe allergy) or who are allergic to any component of this vaccine.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever, nausea, and swollen lymph nodes in the arm in which you received the injection.

Janssen/
Johnson
& Johnson

Janssen/ Johnson & Johnson

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 72.0% in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.
85% in the prevention of severe COVID-19.

Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives./strong>

How many doses are needed?
Only one dose in needed.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, headache, fatigue, muscle pain, chills, fever, and nausea.

How long will it take for me to be protected and what does it protect me from?
After 28 days of having the complete scheme (the last dose applied), the protection period is still under study. It protects us from 85% serious COVID-19 or requiring hospitalization.

AstraZeneca
and
Oxford
University

AstraZeneca and Oxford University

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Adenovirus vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 82% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 56 days apart (or up to 84 days apart, if necessary).

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, and fever, which were mild to moderate in intensity and disappeared within 48 hours of vaccination.

Sputnik V

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Adenovirus vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 92% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 21 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

What is dysarthria?

Signs and symptoms Dysarthria

Diagnosis and treatment Dysarthria

Related centers and departments Dysarthria

Fuentes:

Index

Specialist in Dysarthria