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Aetiology

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The most common cause of dysarthria is alcohol intoxication.

Other causes include:

  • cerebellar disease: causing a scanning dysarthria
  • extrapyramidal disease: causes monotonous speech since it causes bradykinesia and muscular rigidity
  • bulbar or pseudobulbar palsy
    • bilateral lower cranial nerve lesions of cranial nerves IX, X or XII cause a nasal speech, e.g. motor neurone disease, bulbar polio, syringobulbia, medullary tumour, Guillain-Barre syndrome
    • bilateral upper motor neurone of cranial nerves IX, X or XII causes a spastic dysarthria, e.g. cerebral ischaemia, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis
  • paralysis or weakness of facial muscles: causes slurred speech
  • oral lesions, e.g. mouth ulceration, loose dentures

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