Dysarthria and dysphagia as long-term sequelae in a child treated for posterior fossa tumour

Cerebellar Mutism Syndrome: An Overview of the Pathophysiology in Relation to the Cerebrocerebellar Anatomy, Risk Factors, Potential Treatments, and Outcomes

Cerebellar mutism syndrome (CMS) is one the most disabling postoperative neurological complications after posterior fossa surgery in children. CMS is characterized by a transient mutism with a typical onset demonstrated within 2 days postoperatively accompanied by associated ataxia, hypotonia, and irritability. Several hypotheses for the anatomical basis of pathophysiology and risk factors have been suggested. However, a definitive theory and treatment protocols have not yet been determined. Animal histological and electrophysiological studies and more recent human imaging studies have demonstrated the existence of a compartmentalized representation of cerebellar function, the understanding of which might provide more information on the pathophysiology. Damage to the dentatothalamocortical pathway and cerebrocerebellar diaschisis have been described as the anatomical substrate to the CMS. The risk factors, which include tumor type, brainstem invasion, tumor localization, tumor size, and vermal splitting technique, have not yet been clearly elucidated. The efficacy of potential pharmacological and speech therapies has been studied in small trials. Long-term motor speech deficits and associated cognitive and behavioral disturbances have now been found to be common among CMS survivors, affecting their development and requiring rehabilitation, leading to significant financial effects on the healthcare system and distress to the family. The aim of the present review was to outline the cerebellar anatomy and function and its connections in relationship to the pathophysiology and to refine the risk factors and treatment strategies for CMS.

Neuropsychological Profile in Children with Posterior Fossa Tumors with or Without Postoperative Cerebellar Mutism Syndrome (CMS)

Cerebellar mutism syndrome (CMS) is a common surgical sequela in children following posterior fossa tumor (PFT) resection. Here, we analyze the neuropsychological features associated with PFT in children, focusing particularly on the differential profiles associated with the presence or absence of CMS after surgery. We further examine the effect of post-resection treatments, tumor type, and presence/absence of hydrocephalus on surgical outcome. Thirty-six patients diagnosed with PFT (19 with and 17 without CMS) and 34 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. A comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation was conducted in all patients postoperatively and in HCs, including an assessment of general cognitive ability, motor skills, perception, language, memory, attention, executive functions, and academic competence. CMS was found to be a clinical marker of lower neuropsychological profile scores across all cognitive domains except auditory-verbal processing and visual memory tasks. PFT patients not presenting CMS exhibited milder impairment in intellectual functioning, motor tasks, reasoning, language, verbal learning and recall, attention, cognitive executive functions, and academic competence. High-grade tumors were associated with slower processing speed and verbal delayed recall as well as alterations in selective and sustained attention. Hydrocephalus was detrimental to motor functioning and nonverbal reasoning. Patients who had undergone surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy presented impaired processing speed, verbal learning, and reading. In addition to the deleterious effects of PFT, post-resection PFT treatments have a negative cognitive impact. These undesired consequences and the associated tumor-related damage can be assessed using standardized, long-term neuropsychological evaluation when planning rehabilitation.

Predicting dysphagia in children undergoing surgery for posterior fossa tumors

PURPOSE

Posterior fossa tumors (PFTs) are the most common type of brain tumor in children. Dysphagia is a known complication of PFT resection in children, but data regarding risk factors and clinical course are sparse.

METHODS

The records of all children who underwent resection of posterior fossa tumor between April 2007 and May 2017 at our institution were analyzed. Clinical, radiographic, histologic data were gathered. Swallowing function was assessed immediately postoperatively and at 1-year follow-up.

RESULTS

A total of 197 patients were included. Forty-three (21.8%) patients developed dysphagia after surgery. Patients who developed dysphagia were younger (4.5 vs. 7.2 years, p < 0.01), were more likely to have brainstem compression (74.4% vs. 57.8%, p < 0.03) or invasion (14.0 vs. 9.7%, p < 0.03), and were more likely to have ependymoma (27.9% vs. 13.6%, p < 0.01) or ATRT (atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor) (9.3% vs. 3.9%, p < 0.01). Patients with postoperative dysphagia also had a longer length of stay (33.7 vs. 12.7 days, p < 0.01) and were more likely to be discharged to inpatient rehabilitation (25.6% vs. 9.1%, p < 0.01). Ten patients (5.1%) were PEG-dependent by 1-year follow-up. These patients were younger (2.7 vs. 5.6 years, p < 0.01), had a longer length of stay (55.5 vs. 27.4 days, p < 0.01), and were more likely to have ATRT (30.0% vs. 0.0%, p < 0.01). Recovery was not associated with tumor grade or extent of resection.

CONCLUSIONS

Dysphagia after PFT resection is associated with younger age, aggressive tumor histology, and increased healthcare utilization. While most patients recover, a small percentage are still dependent on enteral feeding at 1-year follow-up. Further research is needed to identify factors associated with persistent deficits.

Incidence and risk factors of communication, swallowing, and orofacial myofunctional disorders in children and adolescents with cancer and benign neoplasms

PURPOSE

To describe the incidence and risk factors of communication, swallowing, and orofacial myofunctional disorders in a cohort of children and adolescents with cancer and benign neoplasms.

METHODS

A prospective cohort study conducted with children aged ⩾ 2 years and adolescents of both genders admitted at the Pediatric Oncology Department of the Instituto Nacional de Câncer (INCA) between March 2014 and April 2015. Study participants were submitted to a Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) assessment at three different times: (T1) at hospital admission; (T2) six months after admission; (T3) one year after admission.

RESULTS

One hundred and sixty individuals were evaluated. At the time of hospital admission, 68 individuals (42.5%) presented with some type of SLP disorder. After one year of follow-up, 22.8% of the patients had developed new impairments. The occurrence of new speech-language disorders had a statistically significant association with the tumor site. In the risk analysis for the development of speech-language disorders with respect to the primary tumor site, compared to other sites, the central nervous system (CNS) tumor group was 8.29 times more likely to present some new alterations, while the head and neck (HN) tumor group had a 10.36-fold higher risk.

CONCLUSION

An incidence of 22.8% for communication, swallowing, and orofacial myofunctional disorders was observed. The development of these disorders was greater in individuals with tumors in the CNS and in the HN region.

Data-Driven Classification of Dysarthria Profiles in Children With Cerebral Palsy

Purpose

The objectives of this study were to examine different speech profiles among children with dysarthria secondary to cerebral palsy (CP) and to characterize the effect of different speech profiles on intelligibility.

Method

Twenty 5-year-old children with dysarthria secondary to CP and 20 typically developing children were included in this study. Six acoustic and perceptual speech measures were selected to quantify a range of segmental and suprasegmental speech characteristics and were measured from children's sentence productions. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to identify naturally occurring subgroups of children who had similar profiles of speech features.

Results

Results revealed 4 naturally occurring speech clusters among children: 1 cluster of children with typical development and 3 clusters of children with dysarthria secondary to CP. Two of the 3 dysarthria clusters had statistically equivalent intelligibility levels but significantly differed in articulation rate and degree of hypernasality.

Conclusion

This study provides initial evidence that different speech profiles exist among 5-year-old children with dysarthria secondary to CP, even among children with similar intelligibility levels, suggesting the potential for developing a pediatric dysarthria classification system that could be used to stratify children with dysarthria into meaningful subgroups for studying speech motor development and efficacy of interventions.

Acoustic Predictors of Pediatric Dysarthria in Cerebral Palsy

PURPOSE

The objectives of this study were to identify acoustic characteristics of connected speech that differentiate children with dysarthria secondary to cerebral palsy (CP) from typically developing children and to identify acoustic measures that best detect dysarthria in children with CP.

METHOD

Twenty 5-year-old children with dysarthria secondary to CP were compared to 20 age- and sex-matched typically developing children on 5 acoustic measures of connected speech. A logistic regression approach was used to derive an acoustic model that best predicted dysarthria status.

RESULTS

Results indicated that children with dysarthria secondary to CP differed from typically developing children on measures of multiple segmental and suprasegmental speech characteristics. An acoustic model containing articulation rate and the F2 range of diphthongs differentiated children with dysarthria from typically developing children with 87.5% accuracy.

CONCLUSION

This study serves as a first step toward developing an acoustic model that can be used to improve early identification of dysarthria in children with CP.

Prevalence of communication, swallowing and orofacial myofunctional disorders in children and adolescents at the time of admission at a cancer hospital

PURPOSE

Describe the prevalence of communication, swallowing and orofacial myofunctional disorders in a group of children and adolescents at the time of registration at a cancer hospital.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study conducted with children aged ≥2 and adolescents, of both genders, admitted to the Pediatric Oncology Section of the Instituto Nacional de Câncer José de Alencar Gomes da Silva (INCA) from March 2014 to April 2015 for investigation and/or treatment of solid tumors. A protocol was used to record the sociodemographic and clinical information and findings of the speech-language pathology clinical evaluation, which included aspects of the oral sensorimotor system, swallowing, speech, language, voice, and hearing.

RESULTS

Eighty-eight children/adolescents (41.3%) presented some type of speech-language disorder. The most frequent speech-language disorders were orofacial myofunctional disorder, dysphonia, and language impairments, whereas the less frequent ones were dysacusis, tongue paralysis, and trismus. Site of the lesion was the clinical variable that presented statistically significant correlation with presence of speech-language disorders.

CONCLUSION

High prevalence of speech-language disorders was observed in children and adolescents at the time of admission at a cancer hospital. Occurrence of speech-language disorders was higher in participants with lesions in the central nervous system and in the head and neck region.

Interventions for oropharyngeal dysphagia in children with neurological impairment

BACKGROUND

Oropharyngeal dysphagia encompasses problems with the oral preparatory phase of swallowing (chewing and preparing the food), oral phase (moving the food or fluid posteriorly through the oral cavity with the tongue into the back of the throat) and pharyngeal phase (swallowing the food or fluid and moving it through the pharynx to the oesophagus). Populations of children with neurological impairment who commonly experience dysphagia include, but are not limited to, those with acquired brain impairment (for example, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, stroke), genetic syndromes (for example, Down syndrome, Rett syndrome) and degenerative conditions (for example, myotonic dystrophy).

OBJECTIVES

To examine the effectiveness of interventions for oropharyngeal dysphagia in children with neurological impairment.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the following electronic databases in October 2011: CENTRAL 2011(3), MEDLINE (1948 to September Week 4 2011), EMBASE (1980 to 2011 Week 40)
, CINAHL (1937 to current)
, ERIC (1966 to current), PsycINFO (1806 to October Week 1 2011), Science Citation Index (1970 to 7 October 2011), Social Science Citation Index (1970 to 7 October 2011), Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2011(3), DARE 2011(3), Current Controlled Trials (ISRCTN Register) (15 October 2011), ClinicalTrials.gov (15 October 2011) and WHO ICTRP (15 October 2011). We searched for dissertations and theses using Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations, Australasian Digital Theses Program and DART-Europe E-theses Portal (11 October 2011). Finally, additional references were also obtained from reference lists from articles.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The review included randomised controlled trials and quasi-randomised controlled trials for children with oropharyngeal dysphagia and neurological impairment.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

All three review authors (AM, PD and EW) independently screened titles and abstracts for inclusion and discussed results. In cases of uncertainty over whether an abstract met inclusion criterion, review authors obtained the full-text article and independently evaluated each paper for inclusion. The data were categorised for comparisons depending on the nature of the control group (for example, oral sensorimotor treatment versus no treatment). Effectiveness of the oropharyngeal dysphagia intervention was assessed by considering primary outcomes of physiological functions of the oropharyngeal mechanism for swallowing (for example, lip seal maintenance), the presence of chest infection and pneumonia, and diet consistency a child is able to consume. Secondary outcomes were changes in growth, child's level of participation in the mealtime routine and the level of parent or carer stress associated with feeding.

MAIN RESULTS

Three studies met the inclusion criteria for the review. Two studies were based on oral sensorimotor interventions for participants with cerebral palsy compared to standard care and a third study trialled lip strengthening exercises for children with myotonic dystrophy type 1 compared to no treatment (Sjogreen 2010). A meta-analysis combining results across the three studies was not possible because one of the studies had participants with a different condition, and the remaining two, although using oral sensorimotor treatments, used vastly different approaches with different intensities and durations. The decision not to combine these was in line with our protocol. In this review, we present the results from individual studies for four outcomes: physiological functions of the oropharyngeal mechanism for swallowing, the presence of chest infection and pneumonia, diet consistency, and changes in growth. However, it is not possible to reach definitive conclusions on the effectiveness of particular interventions for oropharyngeal dysphagia based on these studies. One study had a high risk of attrition bias owing to missing data, had statistically significant differences (in weight) across experimental and control groups at baseline, and did not describe other aspects of the trial sufficiently to enable assessment of other potential risks of bias. Another study was at high risk of detection bias as some outcomes were assessed by parents who knew whether their child was in the intervention or control group. The third study overall seemed to be at low risk of bias, but like the other two studies, suffered from a small sample size.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

The review demonstrates that there is currently insufficient high-quality evidence from randomised controlled trials or quasi-randomised controlled trials to provide conclusive results about the effectiveness of any particular type of oral-motor therapy for children with neurological impairment. There is an urgent need for larger-scale (appropriately statistically powered), randomised trials to evaluate the efficacy of interventions for oropharyngeal dysphagia.

Auditory-perceptual speech analysis in children with cerebellar tumours: a long-term follow-up study

Mutism and Subsequent Dysarthria (MSD) and the Posterior Fossa Syndrome (PFS) have become well-recognized clinical entities which may develop after resection of cerebellar tumours. However, speech characteristics following a period of mutism have not been documented in much detail. This study carried out a perceptual speech analysis in 24 children and adolescents (of whom 12 became mute in the immediate postoperative phase) 1-12.2 years after cerebellar tumour resection. The most prominent speech deficits in this study were distorted vowels, slow rate, voice tremor, and monopitch. Factors influencing long-term speech disturbances are presence or absence of postoperative PFS, the localisation of the surgical lesion and the type of adjuvant treatment. Long-term speech deficits may be present up to 12 years post-surgery. The speech deficits found in children and adolescents with cerebellar lesions following cerebellar tumour surgery do not necessarily resemble adult speech characteristics of ataxic dysarthria.

Speech Pathology Services to Children With Cancer and Nonmalignant Hematological Disorders

Children with cancer and nonmalignant hematological disorders may require speech pathology (SP) support; however, limited evidence is available describing prevalence and severity of swallowing/feeding and communication impairments in this population. A retrospective chart review of 70 children referred to SP at the newly formed Queensland Children’s Cancer Centre was conducted to describe the prevalence and severity of swallowing/feeding and communication dysfunction, and the association between impairment, oncology and hematology diagnosis, and service utilization (time and occasions of service). Swallowing/feeding disorders were the most commonly observed impairments at initial assessment (58.6%). Children with central nervous system tumors ( P = .03) and nonmalignant hematological disorder ( P = .03) had significantly higher rates of feeding impairment than other oncology and hematology diagnostic groups. Children with central nervous system tumors had the highest rates of oral phase ( P = .01) and pharyngeal phase ( P = .01) dysphagia (swallowing disorder). No significant difference was found between diagnostic groups for intensity of SP service delivery. Prospective research is required to examine prevalence and severity of disorders, and service utilization in a more established clinic, and to investigate interactions between cancer treatment and swallowing/feeding and communication dysfunction.

Neural bases of childhood speech disorders: lateralization and plasticity for speech functions during development

Current models of speech production in adults emphasize the crucial role played by the left perisylvian cortex, primary and pre-motor cortices, the basal ganglia, and the cerebellum for normal speech production. Whether similar brain-behaviour relationships and leftward cortical dominance are found in childhood remains unclear. Here we reviewed recent evidence linking motor speech disorders (apraxia of speech and dysarthria) and brain abnormalities in children and adolescents with developmental, progressive, or childhood-acquired conditions. We found no evidence that unilateral damage can result in apraxia of speech, or that left hemisphere lesions are more likely to result in dysarthria than lesion to the right. The few studies reporting on childhood apraxia of speech converged towards morphological, structural, metabolic or epileptic anomalies affecting the basal ganglia, perisylvian and rolandic cortices bilaterally. Persistent dysarthria, similarly, was commonly reported in individuals with syndromes and conditions affecting these same structures bilaterally. In conclusion, for the first time we provide evidence that longterm and severe childhood speech disorders result predominantly from bilateral disruption of the neural networks involved in speech production.

Incidence of mutism, dysarthria and dysphagia associated with childhood posterior fossa tumour

PURPOSE

Dysarthria and dysphagia are known complications following posterior fossa tumour (PFT) surgery. Outcome studies for these disorders, however, have focused on a select sub-group of children with mutism. Little is known regarding the incidence or features of these impairments in a consecutively admitted sample of children with PFT. This study describes the incidence and features of mutism, dysarthria and dysphagia during the acute post-surgical phase in a consecutive sample of children with PFT, unselected for the presence of mutism.

METHODS

A retrospective medical chart review of children aged 2 to 18 years consecutively admitted with PFT between January 2003 and January 2008 was conducted.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven children with PFT were identified. Post-surgical mutism, dysarthria and dysphagia were recorded in 9/27 (33%), 8/27 (30%) and 9/27 (33%) cases, respectively. Dysarthria most commonly involved deficits in articulation; however, impairments in respiration, phonation and prosody were also reported. Dysphagia involved all stages of swallowing (i.e., pre-oral anticipatory, oral preparatory, oral and pharyngeal). Eighty-nine percent of children (8/9) presented with dysphagia at hospital discharge.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of acute presentation of mutism, dysarthria and dysphagia post-surgery was relatively high, affecting around one in three cases. This incidence rate, considered together with the fact that over half of all cases had co-morbid communication or swallowing impairments, suggests that health professionals should be aware of the likelihood of dysarthria and dysphagia presentation in the acute period and consider speech pathology referral where necessary.

Role of cerebellum in fine speech control in childhood: persistent dysarthria after surgical treatment for posterior fossa tumour

Dysarthria following surgical resection of childhood posterior fossa tumour (PFT) is most commonly documented in a select group of participants with mutism in the acute recovery phase, thus limiting knowledge of post-operative prognosis for this population of children as a whole. Here we report on the speech characteristics of 13 cases seen long-term after surgical treatment for childhood PFT, unselected for the presence of post-operative mutism (mean time post-surgery=6y10m, range 1;4-12;6 years, two had post-operative mutism), and examine factors affecting outcome. Twenty-six age- and sex- matched healthy controls were recruited for comparison. Participants in both groups had speech assessments using detailed perceptual and acoustic methods. Over two-thirds of the group (69%) with removal of PFT had a profile of typically mild dysarthria. Prominent speech deficits included consonant imprecision, reduced rate, monopitch and monoloudness. We conclude that speech deficits may persist even up to 10 years post-surgery in participants who have not shown mutism in the acute phase. Of cases with unilateral lesions, poorer outcomes were associated with right cerebellar tumours compared to left, consistent with the notion based on adult data that speech is controlled by reciprocal right cerebellar/left frontal interactions. These results confirm the important role of the cerebellum in the control of fine speech movements in children.

Evaluating service delivery for speech and swallowing problems following paediatric brain injury: an international survey

RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

Little is documented about contemporary management of speech and swallowing disorders associated with paediatric acquired brain injury (ABI). It is therefore challenging for clinicians in this field to benchmark their clinical management against current evidence or practices undertaken in other centres. To address this issue, we aimed to provide much-needed baseline data on speech and language pathology management of speech and swallowing disorders associated with childhood ABI. Key objectives were to: (i) determine whether clinicians use formalized referral criteria, clinical guidelines, protocols or care pathways; and (ii) to document the specific assessment and treatment approaches used.

METHODS

Speech and language pathology managers and clinicians at 31 major paediatric rehabilitation centres across Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Ireland were invited to participate in an online survey.

RESULTS

Fifty-one speech and language pathologists responded representing 26 centres (84% response rate). Routine referrals of ABI patients to speech and language pathology occurred relatively infrequently in these centres (12%). Centres utilized assessment protocols (23%) and guidelines (35%) more frequently than treatment guidelines (8%). Multidisciplinary care pathways were applied by 31%. Most centres used adult-based motor speech assessments and informal ('in-house developed') swallowing assessment tools.

CONCLUSIONS

The limited use of referral criteria, protocols, care pathways and guidelines invites the possibility of unequal care, and less than optimal outcomes. Reliance on adult-based or in-house assessments is inappropriate, yet frequently a necessity due to an absence of paediatric-specific tools in this field. Further research is required in parallel with the formation of consensus groups to support the development of: (i) paediatric-specific assessment tools and management approaches; and (ii) clinical protocols and guidelines.

Speech and oral motor profile after childhood hemispherectomy

Hemispherectomy (disconnection or removal of an entire cerebral hemisphere) is a rare surgical procedure used for the relief of drug-resistant epilepsy in children. After hemispherectomy, contralateral hemiplegia persists whereas gross expressive and receptive language functions can be remarkably spared. Motor speech deficits have rarely been examined systematically, thus limiting the accuracy of postoperative prognosis. We describe the speech profiles of hemispherectomized participants characterizing their intelligibility, articulation, phonological speech errors, dysarthric features, and execution and sequencing of orofacial speech and non-speech movements. Thirteen participants who had undergone hemispherectomy (six left, seven right; nine with congenital, four with acquired hemiplegia; operated between four months and 13 years) were investigated. Results showed that all participants were intelligible but showed a mild dysarthric profile characterized by neuromuscular asymmetry and reduced quality and coordination of movements, features that are characteristic of adult-onset unilateral upper motor neuron dysarthria, flaccid-ataxic variant. In addition, one left and four right hemispherectomy cases presented with impaired production of speech and non-speech sequences. No participant showed evidence of verbal or oral dyspraxia. It is concluded that mild dysarthria is persistent after left or right hemispherectomy, irrespective of age at onset of hemiplegia. These results indicate incomplete functional re-organization for the control of fine speech motor movements throughout childhood, and provide no evidence of hemispheric differences.

Cerebellar mutism in pediatric acute disseminated encephalomyelitis

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis is a demyelinating process affecting multiple areas of the central nervous system, frequently including the cerebellum. Cerebellar insult may lead to absence of speech or cerebellar mutism. Cerebellar mutism often occurs in young children after posterior fossa tumor resection, and generally appears as part of a larger subset of neurobehavioral signs and personality changes known as posterior fossa syndrome. Information on the impact of widespread cerebellar involvement on speech production, behavior, and long-term outcomes in acute disseminated encephalomyelitis is limited. We describe cases of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis with predominantly cerebellar involvement, with specific attention to cerebellar mutism. We conducted a retrospective chart review of children diagnosed with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis between 2005-2009 at a pediatric multiple sclerosis and demyelinating disorders clinic. Of 19 patients diagnosed with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, six (32%) manifested primary cerebellar involvement. Of these six, four (67%) exhibited acute language disturbance, with three (50%) exhibiting mutism. The three patients with cerebellar mutism experienced protracted speech and language deficits after follow-ups from 6 months to 4 years. Widespread cerebellar involvement in acute disseminated encephalomyelitis may result in cerebellar mutism, in addition to persistent neurocognitive and behavioral problems.

Differential motor speech outcomes in children treated for mid-line cerebellar tumour

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE

To investigate the nature of the motor speech impairments and dysarthria that can arise subsequent to treatment for childhood mid-line cerebellar tumours (CMCT).

RESEARCH DESIGN

The motor speech ability of six cases of children with CMCT was analysed using perceptual and physiological measures and compared with that of a group of non-neurologically impaired children matched for age and sex.

MAIN OUTCOME AND RESULTS

Three of the children with CMCT were perceived to exhibit dysarthric speech, while the remaining three were judged to have normal speech. The speech disorder in three of the children with CMCT was marked by deviances in prosody, articulation and phonation. The underlying pathophysiology was linked to cerebellar damage and expressed as difficulty in co-ordinating the motor speech musculature as required for speech production. These deficits were not identified in the three non-dysarthric children with CMCT.

CONCLUSION

Differential motor speech outcomes occur for children treated for CMCT and these are discussed within the realm of possible mechanisms responsible for these differences. The need for further investigation of the risk factors for development of motor speech impairment in children treated for CMCT is also highlighted.

Intervention for dysarthria associated with acquired brain injury in children and adolescents

BACKGROUND

The term 'acquired brain injury' (ABI) incorporates a range of aetiologies including cerebrovascular accident, brain tumour and traumatic brain injury. ABI is a common cause of disability in the paediatric population, and dysarthria is a common and often persistent sequelae associated with ABI in children.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the efficacy of intervention delivered by Speech and Language Pathologists/Therapists targeting dysarthric speech in children resulting from acquired brain injury.

SEARCH STRATEGY

We searched CENTRAL (Issue 4, 2006), MEDLINE (1966 to 02/2007), CINAHL (1982 to 02/2007), EMBASE (1980 to 02/2007), ERIC (1965 to 02/2007), Linguistics Abstracts Online (1985 to 02/07), PsycINFO (1872 to 02/2007). Additional references were also sought from reference lists studies.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The review considered randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental design studies of children aged 3-16 years with acquired dysarthria grouped by aetiology (e.g., brain tumour, traumatic brain injury, cerebrovascular accident).

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Each author independently assessed the titles and abstracts for relevance (100% inter-rater reliability) and the full text version of all potentially relevant articles was obtained. No studies met inclusion criteria.

MAIN RESULTS

Of 2091 titles and abstracts identified, full text versions of only three (Morgan 2007; Murdoch 1999; Netsell 2001) were obtained. 2088 were excluded, largely on the basis of not including dysarthria, being diagnostic or descriptive papers, and for concerning adults rather than children. Morgan 2007 and Murdoch 1999 were excluded for not employing RCT or quasi-randomised methodology; Netsell 2001 on the basis of being a theoretical review paper, rather than an intervention study. Five references were identified and obtained from the bibliography of the Murdoch 1999 paper. All were excluded due to including populations without ABI, adults with dysarthria, or inappropriate design. Thus, no studies met inclusion criteria.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

The review demonstrates a critical lack of studies, let alone RCTs, addressing treatment efficacy for dysarthria in children with ABI. Possible reasons to explain this lack of data include i) a lack of understanding of the characteristics or natural history of dysarthria associated with this population; ii) the lack of a diagnostic classification system for children precluding the development of well targeted intervention programs; and iii) the heterogeneity of both the aetiologies and resultant possible dysarthria types of paediatric ABI. Efforts should first be directed at modest well-controlled studies to identify likely efficacious treatments that may then be trialed in multi-centre collaborations using quasi-randomised or RCT methodology.

Long-term neuromotor speech deficits in survivors of childhood posterior fossa tumors: effects of tumor type, radiation, age at diagnosis, and survival years

The cerebellum is important for the coordination of fluent speech. The authors studied how childhood cerebellar tumors affect long-term neuromotor speech outcomes, including the relation between outcome and tumor type, radiation, age at diagnosis, and survival years. Videotaped speech samples of child and adult long-term survivors of childhood cerebellar astrocytoma (nonradiated) and medulloblastoma (radiated) tumors and healthy controls were analyzed by 2 speech pathologists for ataxic dysarthria, dysfluency, and speech rate. Ataxia varied with tumor type/radiation. Medulloblastoma survivors had significantly more ataxic dysarthric features than either survivors of astrocytomas or controls, who did not differ from each other. Dysfluency varied with a history of a posterior fossa tumor. Medulloblastoma and astrocytoma survivors were each significantly more dysfluent than controls but did not differ from each other. Speech rate varied with age and tumor type. Adult controls were significantly faster than child controls, although adult tumor survivors were comparable to their child counterparts. Adult controls had significantly faster speech rates than adult survivors of medulloblastoma tumors. Ataxic dysarthric speech characteristics are more frequent in radiated survivors of medulloblastoma tumors than nonradiated survivors of astrocytoma tumors. Dysfluent and slow speech occur in cerebellar tumor survivors, regardless of tumor type and radiation history. Cerebellar tumors in childhood limit speech rate in adulthood.

Postoperative motor speech production in children with the syndrome of 'cerebellar' mutism and subsequent dysarthria: a critical review of the literature

Transient cerebellar mutism is a well-known clinical entity which may develop after surgery to the cerebellum. As the period of mutism is followed by motor speech deficits, the condition has also been termed the syndrome of (cerebellar) Mutism and Subsequent Dysarthria (MSD). In children, its incidence is estimated between 8% and 31%. Unfortunately, the literature provides contradictory information regarding motor speech production post-mutism. We therefore critically reviewed data on 283 childhood cases to chart the mode of recovery of motor speech production after the mute period. After applying stringent exclusion criteria, we found that 98.8% of the children displayed motor speech deficits. This percentage is much higher than commonly reported in the literature. In addition, recovery of speech appeared to be less favourable than previously ascertained. Future studies should investigate more carefully the patients' speech characteristics in order to be able to offer children an adequate and complete rehabilitation program.

Tongue measures in individuals with normal and impaired swallowing

PURPOSE

This investigation sought to add to the extant literature on measures of normal tongue function, to provide information on measures of tongue function in a group of individuals with oral phase dysphagia, and to provide a comparison of these 2 groups matched for age and gender.

METHOD

The Iowa Oral Performance Instrument was utilized to measure tongue function (strength and endurance) in a group of individuals with normal (N=200) and impaired (N=50) swallowing. The peak measure of 3 encouraged trials was recorded as participants' strength, and 50% of their peak was sustained as long as possible for endurance.

RESULTS

Results for the control group supported previous investigations wherein greater tongue strength was found in males than in females and in the youngest versus oldest groups. The experimental group demonstrated a similar trend in strength for gender. When matched for age and gender, the experimental group demonstrated significantly lower strength. Significant differences were not revealed on measures of tongue endurance.

CONCLUSIONS

We were able to extend the normative database on tongue function and document reduced tongue strength in a group of individuals with dysphagia. The findings provide evidence that in this group, tongue weakness coincided with signs of dysphagia, adding justification for tongue-strengthening protocols.