Occomore, L; (2006) An evaluation of electropalatograpby in the treatment of dysarthria following paediatric traumatic brain injury: A case study. Doctoral thesis , UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

Introduction: Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder commonly associated with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). TBI is a substantial cause of acquired brain injury in the paediatric population, with dysarthria being a common, and often persistent, consequence of such injuries, affecting a child's ability to participate fully in a variety of functional contexts. A current lack of literature studying the efficacy of using objective, instrumental techniques in the treatment of this client group forms the rationale for the present study. Methods: A fifteen-year-old male subject who presented with dysarthria following a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) sustained four years prior to the present study, underwent electropalatography (EPG) treatment an instrumental technique providing real-time visual bio-feedback on tongue to palate contact during speech. The subject's speech was systematically assessed in both the pre- and post- treatment conditions using standardised speech and oro-motor assessments, as well as qualitative and quantitative EPG assessment. Pre-treatment the subject presented with a mild dysarthria, characterised partly by imprecise consonants in the articulatory parameter of his speech. Three sounds were selected for intervention: /t/, /k/, and /s/. A therapy plan was administered using EPG as an instrumental tool in the treatment of the three sounds selected. Results: Results of the post-treatment qualitative and quantitative EPG assessments noted some significant, though variable, changes in the spatial parameter of the subject's lingual-palatal contact for the three sounds treated. Post-treatment perceptual assessment did not demonstrate any increase in functional intelligibility, or any reduction in severity of the deviant speech characteristics noted in the articulatory parameter in the pre- treatment condition. Conclusion: It was concluded that EPG was valuable in achieving changes in lingual- palatal contact patterns for the sounds treated, however these changes did not generalise into spontaneous connected speech. The initial presentation of the subject, theories of motor learning, and methodological limitations are discussed in relation to the findings.

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