Speech in people with MS can often be impaired, resulting in decreased communication skills and quality of life. Speech problems may happen at any stage of MS. For most people they are relatively mild and manageable. Some of the speech difficulties people with MS can face include:
Dysarthria (when a person has difficulty speaking due to weakness or impaired coordination in the muscles involved in speech) is the most common expressive communication deficit presenting in people with MS with prevalence around 45%. Dysphonia (an impairment of voice production) occurs when MS affects the brain areas that control the larynx. It can affect a person’s ability to control volume and pitch. It may also cause a person’s voice to sound hoarse. Phonation difficulties that can affect individuals include vocal deficits, breathiness, and volume abnormalities. Slow speech rate and long/extended pauses are also commonly observed and described in people with MS.3 People with more advanced MS may find that the rhythm and intonation of their speech are disrupted, causing them to sound ‘robotic’. This is sometimes referred to as scanning speech.
Treatment of speech disorders in MS often involves a speech and language therapist or a physiotherapist who will develop an individual plan of speech therapy exercises to help with speech, language, and cognitive communication. Respiratory muscle training can also help to strengthen breathing muscles and improve lung volume capacity.
