Self-Report of Communicative Impairment in Adults With Flaccid Dysarthria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59519/mper3002Keywords:
flaccid dysarthria, communication impairment, VHI scaleAbstract
The aim of the research was to evaluate the degree of communicative impairment of adults with flaccid dysarthria in different communication situations. The sample included 30 participants aged from 36 to 87 years (Mean = 66.47), with male to female ratio of 56.70%:43.30%.
VHI (Voice Handicap Index) scale is used to estimate the impact of voice disorder to the quality of communication. Specific communication situations which were challenging for people with flaccid dysarthria were determined, as well as the extent to which difficulties occur. Higher average composite scores on the scale, as well as individual scores on the subscales, indicate a higher degree of communication impairment. The results showed that adults with flaccid dysarthria have an average score (Mean=45.07) on the overall scale, which indicates a moderate degree of experienced communication impairment, while scores on individual subscales (physical: Mean=17.53; functional: Mean=16.37; emotional: Mean=11.17) indicate a moderate degree of impairment that participants have due to voice disorders, in specific domains that influence communication.
People with flaccid dysarthria can have considerable level of physical changes in voice and speech. However, results of communication quality self-report showed that they do not experience severe impairment in communication. That emphasize the importance of combining objective and subjective methods of voice and speech assessment in people with speech and voice disorders.
References
1. Arsenić, I. (2019). Karakteristike govora i glasa kao prediktori kvaliteta komunikacije odraslih osoba sa dizartrijom. Doktorska disertacija
2. Arsenić, I., Jovanović-Simić, N. (2019). Samoprocena stepena hendikepa osoba sa hipokinetičkom dizartrijom, Zbornik rezimea Stručno-naučna konferencija sa međunarodnim učešćem ,,Dani defektologa Srbije“ (str. 112), 21-24.02.2019., Zlatibor.
3. Dworkin, J. P. (2002). Motor Speech Disorders: A Treatment Guide. St. Louis: Mosby.
4. Fleming, A., Cook, K., Nelson, N., & Lai, E. (2005). Proxy reports in Parkinson’s disease: Caregiver and patient self-reports of quality of life and physical activity. Movement Disorders, 20(11), 1462–1468.
5. Forti, S., Amico, M., Zambarbieri, A., Ciabatta, A., Assi, C., Pignataro, L., & Cantarella, G. (2014). Validation of the Italian voice handicap index-10. Journal of Voice, 28(2), 263-e17.
6. Guimaraes, I., Cardoso, R., Pinto, S., & Ferreira, J. J. (2017). The psychometric properties of the voice handicap index in people with Parkinson’s disease. Journal of Voice, 31(2), 258-e13.
7. Indicators, I. Q. (2002). Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
8. Jacobson, B. H., Johnson, A., Grywalski, C., Silbergleit, A., Jacobson, G., Benninger, M. S., & Newman, C. W. (1997). The voice handicap index (VHI): development and validation. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 6(3), 66-70.
9. Messele, A. (2007). An acoustic analysis of a pathological speech: the case of an Amharic speaking person with flaccid dysarthria. Unpublished MA Thesis, Adis Ababa University.
10. McRae, C., Diem, G., Vo, A., O’Brien, C., & Seeberger, L. (2002). Reliability of measurements of patient health status: A comparison of physician, patient, and caregiver ratings. Parkinsonism and Related Disorders, 8(3), 187–192.
11. Schindler, A., Ottaviani, F., Mozzanica, F., Bachmann, C., Favero, E., Schettino, I., & Ruoppolo, G. (2010). Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Voice Handicap Index into Italian. Journal of voice, 24(6), 708-714.
12. Sotirović, J., Grgurević, A., Mumović, G., Grgurević, U., Pavićević, L., Perić, A., ... & Milojević, M. (2016). Adaptation and Validation of the Voice Handicap Index (VHI)-30 into Serbian. Journal of Voice, 30(6), 758-e1.
13. Trinite, B., & Sokolovs, J. (2014). Adaptation and validation of the Voice Handicap Index in Latvian. Journal of Voice, 28(4), 452-457.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Ivana Arsenić, Nadica Jovanović Simić, Bojana Drljan, Nevena Ječmenica, Zorica Daničić (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
