There is no denying the fact that
the central or peripheral nervous system essentially acts as the human body’s
electrical wiring. Any kind of discrepancy in any part of the circuit hampers
the functioning of the brain and leaves the person disoriented. It marks the
onset of a number of neurological
disorders that can even impact a patient’s communication in multiple
ways.
A panel of specialised neurologists
from Mayom Hospital explains
that progressive neurological disorders weaken or damagethe nerves that control
the functioning of facial muscles, vocal cords, larynx, jaws, or teeth. Such disturbances
result in speech abnormalities, language defects, and cognitive disabilities.
Cognition
related: When the affected individual faces difficulties
with retaining information (memory).The person usually fails to be attentive
and lacks concentration.
Language
related: When there is deterioration in the
ability to understand and subsequently express through language.
Speech
related: When the patient is unable to speak
(loss of speech). It might also include articulation difficulties,slurred
speech, dysphonia, etc.
Many progressive and degenerative neurological
disorders hamper a person’s communication and lead to different types of speech
impediments. Some of the most common ones include:
Parkinson’s
Disease:
A movement disorder, Parkinson’s
Disease (PD) leads to stiff muscles, tremors, and walking difficulties. It also
impacts the shoulder, neck and face muscles. The patient eventually loses
control on facial expressions and the speech becomes slurred or unclear.
Multiple
Sclerosis:
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) causes
inflammation in the central nervous system, which affects the patient’s ability
to coordinate and balance. It also impairs memory, judgement, concentration,
attention, intellect and speech.
Motor
Neurone Disease:
Motor Neurone Disease (MND) usually
weakens the muscles of the face and throat, leading to difficulties speaking,
chewing or swallowing. It some cases, it may also cause articulation problems,
hoarseness, or fluctuations in voice’s volume, pitch and rate.
Alzheimer’s
Disease:
An individual affected by
Alzheimer’s disease usually faces difficulties related to both language and
cognition. The patient’s ability to handle plan, execute or memorise things is
severally hampered. The progression of the disease further causes problems with
language, calculation, and visuo-spacial skills.
Huntington’s
Disease
Patients with Huntington’s disease
face a lot of communication and cognitive difficulties. Imprecise sound
articulation, hypernasality, aphasia, and dysarthria are some of the common
speech problems associated with this disorder.
So if you or any of your loved one
is facing difficulties with speech or communication because of a neurological
impairment, it is advisable to take professional help from skilled medics. You
could get in touch with an experienced neurologist or a speech and language
therapy expert for right diagnosis, treatment and management of such disorders.
You could also book an appointment
with our experts from the department of Neurosciences at Mayom Hospital. Visit http://mayomhospital.com/
for details.
