Article

Patients with a neuromuscular disease (NMD) can present with dysarthria and / or dysphagia. Literature regarding prevalence rates of dysarthria and
dysphagia is scarce. The purpose of this study was to determine prevalence rates,
severity and co-presence of dysarthria and dysphagia in adult patients with NMD.
METHOD: Two groups of adult patients with NMD were included: 102 consecutive
outpatients (the "unselected cohort") and 118 consecutive patients who were
referred for multidisciplinary assessment (the "selected cohort"). An experienced
speech-language pathologist examined each patient in detail. RESULTS: The pooled
prevalence of dysarthria was 46% (95% CI: 36.5-55.9) and 62% (95% CI: 53.3-70.8)
in the unselected and selected cohorts, respectively. The pooled prevalence of
dysphagia was 36% (95% CI: 27.1-45.7) and 58% (95% CI: 49.4-67.2) in the
unselected and selected cohorts, respectively. There was a modest but significant
association between the presence of dysarthria and dysphagia (rs = 0.40; p <
0.01). Although the dysphagia was generally mild, dysarthria was moderate to
severe in 15% of the dysarthric patients. CONCLUSION: The prevalence rates of
dysarthria and dysphagia among patients with various types of NMD are high.
Physicians should therefore be aware of this prevalence and consider referring
NMD patients to a speech-language pathologist. IMPLICATONS OF REHABILITATION:
Both dysarthria and dysphagia are highly prevalent among patients with
neuromuscular diseases; moreover, although often mild, these disorders can occur
relatively early in the course of the disease. Clinicians should routinely check
for signs and symptoms related to dysarthria and/or dysphagia in patients who
present with a neuromuscular disease, preferably using standardised instruments.

Langue : ANGLAIS