Deglutition Disorders
Dysarthria
Neuromuscular Junction Diseases
Speech Intelligibility
Speech Therapy

Dysarthria

Dysarthria is a neuromotor speech disorder caused by impaired coordination, strength, or control of the respiratory, phonatory, resonatory, articulatory, and prosodic subsystems, resulting in reduced speech intelligibility despite preserved language formulation. This activity reviews the etiologies of this condition, which arises from diverse neurologic and nonneurologic pathologies across the neuroaxis, including stroke, neurodegenerative disease, demyelinating conditions, trauma, and neuromuscular junction disorders, and is frequently associated with dysphagia and significant psychosocial burden. Participants will also gain an understanding of the pathophysiology, classification, and clinical presentation of dysarthria, as well as evidence-based diagnostic approaches, including bedside assessment, speech evaluation tools, and imaging. This activity for healthcare professionals is designed to enhance the learner’s competence in identifying dysarthria, performing the recommended evaluation, and implementing an appropriate interprofessional approach when managing this condition, including speech therapy, assistive communication technologies, medical and surgical interventions, and emerging modalities such as telehealth and neuromodulation, to improve patient-centered communication outcomes and quality of life.

Credit & MOC Details

Credit information is provided by the course provider. We recommend confirming credit eligibility with the provider or your licensing board before starting the activity.