Abstract
Clinical assessment of orofacial muscle tone is of interest for differential diagnosis of the dysarthrias, but standardized procedures and normative data are lacking. In this study, perceptual ratings of tone were compared with instrumental measures of tissue stiffness for facial, lingual, and masticatory muscles in 70 individuals with dysarthria. Perceptual and instrumental tone data were discordant and failed to discriminate between five dysarthria types. These results raised concerns about the validity of Myoton-3 stiffness measures in the orofacial muscles. Therefore, a second study evaluated contracted and relaxed orofacial muscles in 10 neurotypical adults. Results for the cheek, masseter, and lateral tongue surface followed predictions, with significantly higher tissue stiffness during contraction. In contradiction, stiffness measures from the superior surface of the tongue were lower during contraction. Superior-to-inferior tongue thickness was notably increased during contraction. A third study revealed that tissue thickness up to ∼10 mm significantly affected Myoton-3 measures. Altered tissue thickness due to neuromuscular conditions like spasticity and atrophy may have undermined the detection of group differences in the original sample of dysarthric speakers. These experiments underscore the challenges of assessing orofacial muscle tone and identify considerations for quantification of tone-related differences across dysarthria groups in future studies.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1127-1142 |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| Journal | Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development |
| Volume | 51 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2014 |
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Keywords
- Dysarthria
- Motor speech assessment
- Muscle tone
- Myoton
- Neurological disorders
- Orofacial muscles
- Rigidity
- Spas-ticity
- Stiffness
- Tissue thickness
- Tongue
- Viscoelastic properties
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Rehabilitation
Cite this
Perceptual and instrumental assessments of orofacial muscle tone in dysarthric and normal speakers. / Dietsch, Angela M.; Solomon, Nancy Pearl; Sharkey, Laura A.; Duffy, Joseph R.; Strand, Edythe A.; Clark, Heather M.
In: Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development, Vol. 51, No. 7, 01.01.2014, p. 1127-1142.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Perceptual and instrumental assessments of orofacial muscle tone in dysarthric and normal speakers
AU - Dietsch, Angela M.
AU - Solomon, Nancy Pearl
AU - Sharkey, Laura A.
AU - Duffy, Joseph R.
AU - Strand, Edythe A.
AU - Clark, Heather M.
PY - 2014/1/1
Y1 - 2014/1/1
N2 - Clinical assessment of orofacial muscle tone is of interest for differential diagnosis of the dysarthrias, but standardized procedures and normative data are lacking. In this study, perceptual ratings of tone were compared with instrumental measures of tissue stiffness for facial, lingual, and masticatory muscles in 70 individuals with dysarthria. Perceptual and instrumental tone data were discordant and failed to discriminate between five dysarthria types. These results raised concerns about the validity of Myoton-3 stiffness measures in the orofacial muscles. Therefore, a second study evaluated contracted and relaxed orofacial muscles in 10 neurotypical adults. Results for the cheek, masseter, and lateral tongue surface followed predictions, with significantly higher tissue stiffness during contraction. In contradiction, stiffness measures from the superior surface of the tongue were lower during contraction. Superior-to-inferior tongue thickness was notably increased during contraction. A third study revealed that tissue thickness up to ∼10 mm significantly affected Myoton-3 measures. Altered tissue thickness due to neuromuscular conditions like spasticity and atrophy may have undermined the detection of group differences in the original sample of dysarthric speakers. These experiments underscore the challenges of assessing orofacial muscle tone and identify considerations for quantification of tone-related differences across dysarthria groups in future studies.
AB - Clinical assessment of orofacial muscle tone is of interest for differential diagnosis of the dysarthrias, but standardized procedures and normative data are lacking. In this study, perceptual ratings of tone were compared with instrumental measures of tissue stiffness for facial, lingual, and masticatory muscles in 70 individuals with dysarthria. Perceptual and instrumental tone data were discordant and failed to discriminate between five dysarthria types. These results raised concerns about the validity of Myoton-3 stiffness measures in the orofacial muscles. Therefore, a second study evaluated contracted and relaxed orofacial muscles in 10 neurotypical adults. Results for the cheek, masseter, and lateral tongue surface followed predictions, with significantly higher tissue stiffness during contraction. In contradiction, stiffness measures from the superior surface of the tongue were lower during contraction. Superior-to-inferior tongue thickness was notably increased during contraction. A third study revealed that tissue thickness up to ∼10 mm significantly affected Myoton-3 measures. Altered tissue thickness due to neuromuscular conditions like spasticity and atrophy may have undermined the detection of group differences in the original sample of dysarthric speakers. These experiments underscore the challenges of assessing orofacial muscle tone and identify considerations for quantification of tone-related differences across dysarthria groups in future studies.
KW - Dysarthria
KW - Motor speech assessment
KW - Muscle tone
KW - Myoton
KW - Neurological disorders
KW - Orofacial muscles
KW - Rigidity
KW - Spas-ticity
KW - Stiffness
KW - Tissue thickness
KW - Tongue
KW - Viscoelastic properties
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84922861612&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84922861612&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1682/JRRD.2013.07.0167
DO - 10.1682/JRRD.2013.07.0167
M3 - Article
C2 - 25437151
AN - SCOPUS:84922861612
VL - 51
SP - 1127
EP - 1142
JO - Journal of rehabilitation R&D
JF - Journal of rehabilitation R&D
SN - 0748-7711
IS - 7
ER -