title: Auditory-perceptual speech analysis in children with cerebellar tumours: a long-term follow-up study.
abstract: Mutism and Subsequent Dysarthria (MSD) and the Posterior Fossa Syndrome (PFS) have become well-recognized clinical entities which may develop after resection of cerebellar tumours. However, speech characteristics following a period of mutism have not been documented in much detail. This study carried out a perceptual speech analysis in 24 children and adolescents (of whom 12 became mute in the immediate postoperative phase) 1-12.2 years after cerebellar tumour resection. The most prominent speech deficits in this study were distorted vowels, slow rate, voice tremor, and monopitch. Factors influencing long-term speech disturbances are presence or absence of postoperative PFS, the localisation of the surgical lesion and the type of adjuvant treatment. Long-term speech deficits may be present up to 12 years post-surgery. The speech deficits found in children and adolescents with cerebellar lesions following cerebellar tumour surgery do not necessarily resemble adult speech characteristics of ataxic dysarthria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Psychology, Universiteit Gent, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Hyo Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: De Smet
authors.forename: Coriene
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Catsman-Berrevoets
authors.forename: Femke
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aarsen
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Verhoeven
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mariën
authors.forename: Philippe F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Paquier
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004401:Dysarthria / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004806:Ependymoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D009155:Mutism / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult