A deficit in communication ability, in which a person speaks like someone much younger, is known as

What are speech disorders?

Speech disorders can affect the way a person creates sounds to form words. Certain voice disorders may also be considered speech disorders.

One of the most commonly experienced speech disorders is stuttering. Other speech disorders include apraxia and dysarthria.

  • Apraxia is a motor speech disorder caused by damage to the parts of the brain related to speaking.
  • Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder in which the muscles of the mouth, face, or respiratory system may become weak or have difficulty moving.

Some people with speech disorders are aware of what they would like to say but unable to articulate their thoughts. This may lead to self-esteem issues and the development of depression.

Speech disorders can affect adults and children. Early treatment can correct these conditions.

Depending on the cause of the speech disorder, several symptoms may be present. Common symptoms experienced by people with speech disorders are:

  • repeating sounds, which is most often seen in people who stutter
  • adding extra sounds and words
  • elongating words
  • making jerky movements while talking, usually involving the head
  • blinking several times while talking
  • visible frustration when trying to communicate
  • taking frequent pauses when talking
  • distorting sounds when talking
  • hoarseness, or speaking with a raspy or gravelly sounding voice

Many tests are available to diagnose speech disorders.

Denver articulation screening exam

The Denver articulation screening examination (DASE) is a commonly used testing system to diagnose articulation disorders. This test evaluates the clarity in pronunciation in children between the ages of 2 and 7. This five-minute test uses various exercises to assess the child’s speech.

Early language milestones scale 2

This test, created by neurodevelopmental pediatrician James Coplan, determines a child’s language development. This test can quickly identify delayed speech or language disorders.

Peabody picture vocabulary test, revised

This test measures a person’s vocabulary and ability to speak. The person will listen to various words and choose pictures that describe the words. People who have severe intellectual disabilities and those who are blind won’t able to take this assessment. The Peabody picture vocabulary test has been revised many times since its first version was administered in 1959.

Mild speech disorders may not require any treatment. Some speech disorders may simply go away. Others can improve with speech therapy.

Treatment varies and depends on the type of disorder. In speech therapy, a professional therapist will guide you through exercises that work to strengthen the muscles in your face and throat. You’ll learn to control your breathing while speaking. Muscle-strengthening exercises and controlled breathing help improve the way your words sound. You’ll also learn ways to practice smoother, more fluent speech.

Some people with speech disorders experience nervousness, embarrassment, or depression. Talk therapy may be helpful in these situations. A therapist will discuss ways to cope with the condition and ways to improve the outlook of your condition. If your depression is severe, antidepressant medications can help.

The outlook improves for people who seek early treatment. Early treatment helps prevent a speech disorder from worsening. The outlook for those with permanent disabilities depends upon the severity of the disability.

Overview

Primary progressive aphasia (uh-FAY-zhuh) is a rare nervous system (neurological) syndrome that affects your ability to communicate. People who have it can have trouble expressing their thoughts and understanding or finding words.

Symptoms begin gradually, often before age 65, and worsen over time. People with primary progressive aphasia can lose the ability to speak and write and, eventually, to understand written or spoken language.

This condition progresses slowly, so you may continue caring for yourself and participating in daily life activities for several years after the disorder's onset.

Primary progressive aphasia is a type of frontotemporal dementia, a cluster of related disorders that results from the degeneration of the frontal or temporal lobes of the brain, which include brain tissue involved in speech and language.

Symptoms

Primary progressive aphasia symptoms vary, depending on which portion of the brain's language areas are involved. The condition has three types, which cause different symptoms.

Semantic variant primary progressive aphasia

Signs and symptoms include:

  • Difficulty comprehending spoken or written language, particularly single words
  • Trouble comprehending word meanings
  • Struggling to name objects

Logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia

Signs and symptoms include:

  • Difficulty retrieving words and word substitutions
  • Frequently pausing in speech while searching for words
  • Difficulty repeating phrases or sentences

Nonfluent-agrammatic variant primary progressive aphasia

Signs and symptoms include:

  • Poor grammar in written and spoken form
  • Trouble understanding complex sentences
  • Using grammar incorrectly
  • May be accompanied by speaking problems such as errors in speech sounds (known as apraxia of speech)

Causes

Primary progressive aphasia is caused by a shrinking (atrophy) of certain sections (lobes) of the brain responsible for speech and language. In this case, the frontal, temporal or parietal lobes, primarily on the left side of the brain, are affected.

Atrophy is associated with the presence of abnormal proteins, and brain activity or function in affected areas might be reduced.

Risk factors

Risk factors for primary progressive aphasia include:

  • Learning disabilities. If you had a childhood learning disability, particularly developmental dyslexia, you might be at somewhat higher risk of primary progressive aphasia.
  • Certain gene mutations. Rare gene mutations have been linked to the disorder. If other members of your family have had primary progressive aphasia, you might be more likely to develop it.

Complications

People with primary progressive aphasia eventually lose the ability to speak and write, and to understand written and spoken language. Some people develop substantial difficulty forming sounds to speak (a problem called apraxia of speech), even when their ability to write and comprehend are not significantly impaired.

As the disease progresses, other mental skills, such as memory, can become impaired. Some people develop other neurological symptoms such as problems with movement. With these complications, the affected person eventually will need help with day-to-day care.

People with primary progressive aphasia can also develop depression or behavioral or social problems as the disease progresses. Other problems might include blunted emotions such as unconcern, poor judgment or inappropriate social behavior.

Dec. 27, 2018

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