title: Muscle weakness and speech in oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We documented speech and voice characteristics associated with oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD). Although it is a rare disease, OPMD offers the opportunity to study the impact of myopathic weakness on speech production in the absence of neurologic deficits in a relatively homogeneous group of speakers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve individuals with OPMD and 12 healthy age-matched controls underwent comprehensive assessment of the speech mechanism including spirometry (respiratory support), nasometry (resonance balance), phonatory measures (pitch, loudness, and quality), articulatory measures (diadochokinetic rates, segment duration measures, spectral moments, and vowel space), tongue-to-palate strength measures during maximal isometric and speechlike tasks, quality-of-life questionnaire, and perceptual speech ratings by listeners.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Individuals with OPMD had substantially reduced tongue strength compared to the controls. However, little impact on speech and voice measures or on speech intelligibility was observed except for slower diadochokinetic rates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite having less than half the maximal tongue strength of healthy controls, the individuals with OPMD exhibited minimal speech deficits. The threshold of weakness required for noticeable speech impairment may not have been reached by this group of adults with OPMD.
authors.forename: Amy T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Neel
authors.forename: Phyllis M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: Gwyneth
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sprouls
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Morrison
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053580:Muscle Strength; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D039141:Muscular Dystrophy, Oculopharyngeal / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010159:Palate / Q000503:physiopathology; D010700:Phonetics; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology*; D013067:Speech Perception; D013068:Speech Production Measurement; D013147:Spirometry; D014059:Tongue / Q000503:physiopathology; D014831:Voice / Q000502:physiology*