Is Aphasia a Type of Dysarthria?

Symptoms of aphasia can differ depending on the type of aphasia and may include: 

• Broca aphasia (sometimes called expressive aphasia) involves damage to the front portion of the language-dominant side of the brain
  • Elimination of the words “and” and “the” 
  • Speaking in short, but meaningful, sentences
  • Can usually understand some speech of others
  • Often have right-sided weakness or paralysis of the arm and leg
• Wernicke aphasia (sometimes called receptive aphasia) involves damage to the side portion of the language-dominant part of the brain
  • Speaking in long confusing sentences
  • Adding unnecessary words
  • Creating new words
  • Often have difficulty understanding the speech of others
• Global aphasia involves damage to a large portion of the language-dominant side of the brain.
  • Difficulties with speaking or comprehending language

Symptoms of dysarthria may include:

• Slurred or mumbled speech that may be difficult for others to understand
• Speaking slowly
• Speaking softly
• Talking too fast
• Inability to move the tongue, lips, and jaw properly
• Sounding robotic or choppy
• Voice changes 
  • Hoarseness 
  • Sounding breathy
  • Sounding nasal

The cause of aphasia is damage to the language-dominant side of the brain, usually the left side, and that may be a result of:

• Stroke
• Head injury
• Brain tumor
• Infection
• Dementia

Dysarthria is caused by brain damage, which may be a result of conditions such as: 

• Stroke
• Brain injury
• Tumors
• Parkinson's disease
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS
• Huntington's disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• Cerebral palsy
• Muscular dystrophy

Both aphasia and dysarthria are diagnosed with patient history and consultation with a speech-language pathologist.

Aphasia and dysarthria may be diagnosed with a set of comprehensive speech and language tests such as: 

• Speech study 
• Naming
• Repetition
• Comprehension
• Reading
• Writing
• How well do you move your mouth, lips, and tongue
• How well you breathe
• Listening to your speech in single words, sentences, and conversation
• How well do you understand and talk

Imaging procedures to look at the brain may include: 

• Computed tomography (CT) scan
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan
• Positron emission tomography (PET) scan

Treatment for aphasia can vary based on:

• The patient’s age, overall health, and medical history
• The cause and extent of the disorder
• Whether a person is left-handed or right-handed
• The patient’s tolerance for specific medicines, procedures, or therapies
• Expectations for the course of the disorder
• The patient’s opinion or preference and motivation

Treatment for aphasia is aimed at improving the patient’s ability to communicate through methods that may include:

• Speech-language therapy
• Nonverbal communication therapies, such as computers or pictures
• Group therapy for patients and their families

Treatment for dysarthria can vary based on the underlying condition and specific speech patterns present. Techniques useful for people with dysarthria include:

• Slowing down speech
• Speaking at a louder volume
• Practice over-pronouncing sounds and words
• Using more breath to speak
• Exercises to make the mouth and tongue muscles stronger 
• Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for severe cases when others are not able to understand a person’s speech
  • It may be as simple as a pen and paper, or high-tech such as speech-generating devices and computers