Dysarthria Trivia Quiz: How Much You Know?

Ataxic dysarthria is a speech disorder characterized by irregular and uncoordinated movements of the speech muscles. The cerebellum, located at the back of the brain, is responsible for coordinating and fine-tuning motor movements, including those involved in speech production. Damage to the cerebellum can disrupt the smooth coordination of these movements, leading to the development of ataxic dysarthria. Therefore, the site of lesion for ataxic dysarthria is the cerebellum.

Spastic dysarthria is characterized by bilateral damage to the upper motor neurons, while flaccid dysarthria is caused by damage to the lower motor neurons. Upper motor neuron damage affects the pathways that control voluntary movements, resulting in increased muscle tone and spasticity. Lower motor neuron damage affects the nerves that directly innervate the muscles, leading to weakness, flaccidity, and reduced muscle tone. Therefore, the correct answer is that spastic dysarthria is caused by bilateral damage to the upper motor neuron, while flaccid dysarthria is caused by damage to the lower motor neurons.

Flaccid dysarthria is caused by damage to the final common pathway (lower motor neuron). The final common pathway consists of the cranial nerves that directly innervate the muscles involved in speech production. Damage to this pathway can result in weakness, atrophy, and reduced muscle tone, leading to difficulties in articulation, phonation, and overall speech production. Bilateral upper motor neuron damage would typically cause spastic dysarthria, characterized by increased muscle tone and spasticity. Unilateral upper motor neuron damage would not typically result in flaccid dysarthria.

The cerebellum is a part of the brain that plays a crucial role in coordinating and regulating movements, including the timing and force of muscular contractions. It receives information from various sensory systems and sends signals to the muscles, allowing for smooth and coordinated movements. Therefore, the statement that the primary function of the cerebellum is to coordinate the timing and force of muscular contractions is true.

The statement is true because the cerebellum receives inputs from the cortex regarding the planned movements that the body wants to execute. This information allows the cerebellum to coordinate and fine-tune these movements to ensure their accuracy and smoothness. The cerebellum acts as a control center, integrating sensory information and motor commands to ensure precise execution of voluntary movements.

Ataxic means widespread incoordination. Comes from Greek word meaning lack of order.

The statement is true because therapy for spastic dysarthria does involve various components such as easy onset, muscle tone reduction, strength training, and phonemic practice. Easy onset refers to techniques that help individuals initiate speech sounds smoothly, muscle tone reduction involves exercises to decrease excessive muscle tension, strength training focuses on improving the strength and coordination of speech muscles, and phonemic practice helps individuals improve their ability to produce specific speech sounds accurately. Therefore, all these components are important in therapy for spastic dysarthria.

Bell's palsy is a condition characterized by sudden, unilateral facial paralysis. It is believed to be caused by inflammation or damage to the facial nerve. The statement that Bell's palsy has an 86% full recovery rate is correct. Most individuals with Bell's palsy experience significant improvement within three weeks, and the majority of cases fully recover within six months. However, it is important to note that some individuals may have residual weakness or other complications even after recovery.

imprecise articulation, monotonous speech, poor prosody, monotonous loudness

Fasciculations are involuntary muscle contractions that can be seen or felt on the surface of the skin. They are arrhythmic and occur at rest. On the other hand, fibrillations are also arrhythmic but cannot be seen with the naked eye. They are detected using electromyography (EMG), a diagnostic test that measures the electrical activity of muscles. Therefore, the correct answer states that fasciculations can be seen at rest while fibrillations cannot be seen and require EMG for detection.

The cranial nerves involved in speech production are the trigeminal, glossopharyngeal, hypoglossal, accessory, facial, and vagus nerves. These nerves are responsible for controlling the muscles involved in speech production, such as the muscles of the face, tongue, and throat. The trigeminal nerve controls the muscles of mastication and plays a role in articulation. The glossopharyngeal nerve controls the muscles of the pharynx and larynx, which are important for swallowing and producing certain speech sounds. The hypoglossal nerve controls the muscles of the tongue, allowing for precise movements necessary for speech. The accessory nerve controls the muscles of the neck and shoulders, which indirectly affect speech production. The facial nerve controls the muscles of the face, including those involved in facial expressions and certain speech sounds. The vagus nerve controls the muscles of the pharynx and larynx, playing a role in swallowing and voice production.

Lesions in the vermis are usually bilateral, meaning they occur on both sides of the structure. This suggests that the damage or abnormality affecting the vermis is present on both sides, rather than being limited to just one side. Bilateral lesions in the vermis can result in various symptoms and can be caused by conditions such as stroke, tumors, or degenerative diseases.

Spastic dysarthria is also known as Pseudobulbar Palsy and results in Excessive muscle tone.

It is caused by bilateral upper motor neuron damage.

Fasciculations/ Fibrillations are small, spontaneous contractions of muscle tissue, often seen following lower motor neuron damage.

LMN innervates muscles of respiration, phonation, articulation, prosody, and resonance. This means that the lower motor neurons are responsible for supplying nerve impulses to the muscles involved in these processes. Respiration refers to the act of breathing, phonation refers to the production of sound, articulation refers to the formation of speech sounds, prosody refers to the rhythm and intonation of speech, and resonance refers to the quality of sound produced by the vocal tract.

The statement is true because fibers from the cerebral cortex do indeed innervate muscles on opposite sides of the body. However, when it comes to speech, this only applies to the lower face and tongue. Other muscles involved in speech, such as those in the lips and jaw, are innervated by fibers on the same side of the body as the cerebral cortex.

The signs and symptoms associated with cerebellar control include difficulty standing or walking, titubations (involuntary trembling or shaking movements), nystagmus (involuntary eye movement), hypotonia (decreased muscle tone), slurred or drunken-like speech, and dysmetria (inability to control the range of movement). These symptoms indicate dysfunction or damage to the cerebellum, which is responsible for coordinating movement and maintaining balance.

Oral mech is often normal in clients with ataxic dysarthria.

Stiff gait is a symptom/sign of spastic dysarthria

The therapy for Flaccid Dysarthria includes various approaches. Addressing posture for breath control is important as it helps in improving the coordination of breathing and speech production. Medical evaluation of vocal folds is necessary to assess any structural abnormalities or issues that may be affecting voice production. Voice therapy aims to improve the quality, loudness, and clarity of the voice. Strengthening exercises help to strengthen the muscles involved in speech production. Phonemic practice focuses on improving articulation and speech clarity. Lastly, a palatal lift may be used to improve resonance and control of airflow during speech.

The 6 cranial nerves are important because the LMN inside the nerves transmits motor impulses from the UMN to the muscles used in speech and voice production.

Ataxic dysarthria can result from various etiologies involving damage to the cerebellum or its connections. Tumors, traumatic brain injury (TBI), aneurysms, and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) can directly or indirectly affect the cerebellum, leading to ataxic dysarthria. Additionally, neurodegenerative disorders such as Huntington's disease and Parkinson's disease progressively impact the cerebellum, contributing to the development of ataxic dysarthria. These diverse causes highlight the importance of understanding the underlying pathology to effectively diagnose and manage ataxic dysarthria.

Other causes include: viral/ bacterial infection, physical trauma that involves a fractured bone/ nerve cut

Spastic dysarthria is a speech disorder caused by damage to the nerves that control the muscles of speech. The common causes listed in the question, including brainstem stroke, leukoencephalitis, primary lateral sclerosis, TBI (traumatic brain injury), and multiple infarcts (blockage of blood vessels leading to tissue death), can all result in damage to the nerves involved in speech production. These conditions can lead to muscle weakness, spasticity, and difficulty coordinating the movements necessary for clear speech. Therefore, they are all potential causes of spastic dysarthria.

Spastic dysarthria is a motor speech disorder characterized by various symptoms. The correct answer lists the characteristics of spastic dysarthria, including loss of fine movement, hyperadduction of vocal folds, partially open glottis, low pitch, slow and effortful speech, drooling, swallowing complaints, dysphagia, hyperactive gag reflex, and weak face and tongue range of motion. These symptoms are commonly observed in individuals with spastic dysarthria and are indicative of the underlying motor control and muscle weakness issues that affect speech production and swallowing abilities.

The given answer lists the five common etiologies for flaccid dysarthria, which are Myasthenia gravis, Guillain-Barre, Polio, Muscular dystrophy, and Progressive Bulbar Palsy. These conditions are known to cause weakness and flaccidity in the muscles involved in speech production, leading to difficulties in articulation, phonation, and overall speech intelligibility. These conditions can affect the muscles of the face, tongue, lips, and throat, resulting in slurred speech, weak voice, and reduced control over speech movements.