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  • Title: Progressive apraxia of speech as a sign of motor neuron disease.
    Author: Duffy JR, Peach RK, Strand EA.
    Journal: Am J Speech Lang Pathol; 2007 Aug; 16(3):198-208. PubMed ID: 17666546.
    Abstract:
    PURPOSE: To document and describe in detail the occurrence of apraxia of speech (AOS) in a group of individuals with a diagnosis of motor neuron disease (MND). METHOD: Seven individuals with MND and AOS were identified from among 80 patients with a variety of neurodegenerative diseases and AOS (J. R. Duffy, 2006). The history, presenting complaints, neurological findings, and speech-language findings were documented for each case. RESULTS: Spastic or mixed spastic-flaccid dysarthria was present in all 7 cases. The AOS was judged as worse than the dysarthria in 4 cases. Nonverbal oral apraxia was eventually present in all cases. Aphasia was present in 2 cases and equivocally present in another 2. Dementia was present in 1 case and equivocally present in 2. CONCLUSIONS: AOS can occur in MND, typically also with dysarthria, but not invariably with aphasia or other cognitive deficits. Thus, a diagnosis of MND does not preclude the presence of AOS. More importantly, MND should be a diagnostic consideration when AOS is a prominent sign of degenerative disease.
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