The Contribution of Motor S Understanding Motor Sp

This paper discusses motor speech disorders (MSDs) and their contribution to our understanding of motor speech control. The MSDs, which include the dysarthrias and apraxia of speech, can be distinguished on the basis of their clinical attributes. The perceptual (and acoustic and physiologic) distinctions among the MSDs have logical relationships with the motor control roles played by the damaged portion of the nervous system with which they are associated. Models of speech motor control must account for several aspects of movement that are known to break down when the nervous system’s motor structures and pathways are damaged. At the least, these include requirements for force, quick, accurate movements with proper postural support, coordination, modulation (e.g. amplitude), and selection and sequencing of movement plans/programs. 1. MOTOR SPEECH DISORDERS One valuable method for identifying the critical neurologic structures and pathways involved in motor speech control relies on examining the relationships between the auditory perceptual, acoustic, and physiologic characteristics of distinctive neurologic speech disturbances and the specific loci of their causal lesion(s) within the central (CNS) or peripheral nervous system (PNS). The speech disorders that have contributed most to these efforts are known broa whic subc spee sum acce Aron class them led t MSD gene and its n The iden critic Thes (LM activ (UM and these addi of ap spee the l Infer the a the M com have play peech Disorders to