Queensland's institutional digital repository (The University of Queensland) · 2006 · 24 citations · 0 references
MedicineRehabilitation MedicineSpeech-language PathologyArticulation DisordersSpinal Cord Injury RehabilitationSpine SurgerySpeech ImpairmentSpeech RehabilitationSpeech Sound DisordersSpinal Cord InjurySpinal TraumaVoice DisordersAssessmentsPerceptual Rating ScalesPerceptual ScaleSpeech DysfunctionSpinal Cord Injury Assessment
The present study examined 24 individuals with either complete or incomplete injuries to the cervical spinal cord through the use of standardized assessments of dysarthria and a perceptual rating scale. Perceptual assessment revealed predominantly prosodic and phonatory disturbances, while physical impairments were common in the respiratory and laryngeal subsystems of speech production. A reduction in intelligibility and speaking rate resulted in a diminished communicative effectiveness ratio for most participants. Individuals showed a high degree of variation, with no clear relationship between lesion type and impairments present. Further investigation is required to verify the physiological nature of the respiratory and laryngeal impairments found in the present investigation and to determine the relative contributions of these to the overall presentation of speech and voice post cervical spinal cord injury (CSI).