Speech Disorders

This research was completed on 30 September 2004

Project Leader	Dr B L Petheram, PhD and Professor P M Enderby, MBE, PhD, MSc, FRCSLT.
Location	Speech and Language Research Unit, Frenchay Hospital, Bristol in conjunction with the Institute of General Practice and Primary CAre, Northern General Hospital, Sheffield.
Grant awarded	12 March 2001
Start date	1 October 2001
End date	30 September 2004
Grant amount	£109,958.00
Grant code	AP0883

Dysarthria is a distressing speech disorder that results from conditions such as progressive neurological disease, cerebral palsy, head injury or stroke and affects 264,000 people in the UK at any one time. Speech becomes indistinct or unintelligible due to changes in articulation, loudness, vocal quality or volume and speed of delivery. Establishing new and improved patterns of speech requires persistent and intensive practice but most of this is currently done at home without supervision or feedback on progress. Computers can provide features that give clear instructions, tasks that mimic real-life speaking situations and feedback on progress. This team will develop special computer programs and investigate the use of the computer as a practice tool. If patients are able to reduce their rate of speech, they should be more easily understood and their quality of life greatly improved.