Stuttering
Stroke
Encephalitis
4549 March 30
IMPORTANT!
The information in this section cannot be used for self-diagnosis and self-treatment.
In case of pain or other exacerbation of the disease, diagnostic tests should be prescribed only by the attending physician. To make a diagnosis and properly prescribe treatment, you should contact your doctor. Stuttering: causes of occurrence, what diseases it occurs with, diagnosis and treatment methods.
Definition
Oral speech is a complex multicomponent process in which not only the structures of the maxillofacial apparatus, but also the brain centers located in the cerebral cortex take part. It is in these structures that in most cases certain pathological processes leading to the development of stuttering are localized.
Stuttering (stammering) is understood as a speech feature characterized by frequent repetition or prolongation of sounds, syllables or even words in combination with frequent pauses, which disrupts the fluency of oral speech.
Today, different figures are given that characterize the number of people who stutter - from 1 to 5%. However, all experts are unanimous that among males stuttering occurs 4 times more often than among females, and also that in 90-95% of cases stuttering occurs between the ages of 2 and 7 years.
This speech defect often leads to problems in communication, which consist not only in the difficulty of perceiving such speech on the part of the listener, but are also associated with the internal emotional experiences of a stuttering person.
Types of stuttering
There are the following types of stuttering:
- Neurotic stuttering, the development of which is usually based on some psychotraumatic factor. This type of stuttering is psychogenic and is not based on structural damage to the brain or peripheral parts of the speech apparatus.
- Neurosis-like stuttering - unlike neurotic stuttering, it develops against the background of organic damage to the nervous system.
- Mixed stuttering develops against the background of both a psychogenic factor and true damage to the nervous system.
Possible causes of stuttering
Stuttering is based on various muscle spasms of the speech apparatus. They develop due to abnormal impulses emanating from the motor speech centers of the brain. The cause of the pathological functioning of these parts of the central nervous system can be both structural and functional disorders. The latter are characterized by the presence in some part of the brain of a focus of excitation, which activates the motor speech center and leads to the development of convulsive readiness of the muscles involved in articulation and voice formation.
If tonic convulsions develop, a prolonged muscle spasm occurs, resulting in speech delay. Unlike tonic convulsions, clonic convulsions are a series of short-term convulsions that lead to involuntary repetition of sounds or syllables.
Both types of seizures lead to impaired speech fluency and stuttering.
Diseases that cause stuttering
Among the factors influencing the development of stuttering, doctors identify the following diseases and conditions:
- emotional lability and dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system;
- mental trauma;
- traumatic brain injuries;
- infectious brain damage;
- stroke;
- perinatal damage to the central nervous system of the child, associated, as a rule, with a violation of the supply of oxygen to brain structures in the prenatal period of development, during childbirth and in the first hours and days of life.
Which doctors should I contact if I stutter?
Traditionally, the initial examination of a patient with stuttering is carried out. After a detailed interview with the patient, the purpose of which is to clarify the circumstances of the appearance of stuttering and possible provoking factors, the doctor specifically examines the nervous system for the presence of other signs of neurological abnormalities. In the treatment of stuttering, doctors resort to the help of a speech therapist and psychologist. Often, to treat stuttering, especially in the absence of organic damage to the nervous system, the neurologist refers the patient to a consultation with a psychiatrist in order to identify some mental abnormalities that lead to the development of stuttering.
Diagnosis and examinations for stuttering
Diagnosis of stuttering begins with a neurological examination, during which a neurologist may suspect the presence of a structural brain lesion or, conversely, receive no evidence of the presence of organic damage. In this case, the doctor resorts to additional laboratory and instrumental diagnostic methods in order to confirm or exclude various organic lesions. EEG and neuroimaging methods are coming to the fore.
Electroencephalography (EEG) is one of the integral methods of additional research of a patient suffering from stuttering. EEG helps differentiate neurotic and neurosis-like stuttering by identifying signs of convulsive activity in individual areas of the brain.
What to do if your child starts to stutter
If you or your teacher/educator notice signs of stuttering in your child, contact a specialist as soon as possible. Early diagnosis is one of the ways to prevent stuttering. As a rule, diagnosis includes consultation with a pediatrician, neurologist, psychologist, otolaryngologist, speech therapist or speech pathologist. To clarify the diagnosis and identify its cause, hardware examination methods are prescribed: skull radiography, MRI or CT, electroencephalography.
The next stage is the correction of speech disorders, which, depending on the degree of the disorder, can last up to several years. Medication, physiotherapeutic methods, massage, therapeutic exercises, and breathing exercises are used.
Strictly follow the recommendations of the speech therapist and other doctors. After completing the course, undergo regular medical examinations - this is one of the ways to prevent relapse of stuttering. Do not focus on existing speech disorders, do not stimulate speech artificially: this will only make things worse.
Love your child despite his shortcomings - this will help him cope with problems and feel more confident.
Role of the family
Family is the first and main environment for children. Close people can become a pathogenic organism that provokes the prosperity of the disease, but, on the other hand, have a beneficial effect on eliminating the defect.
A large role in the formation of logoclonia is played by the educational model. The risk of developing pathology increases in those families where the baby is raised in an environment of authoritarianism, hypersocialization, and increased emotional connection with the mother. The child is not perceived as he is, the right to develop as an individual is taken away, and his rights are infringed upon. Parents do not have an adequate understanding of the baby and his role in society. There is no attention to age needs.
The atmosphere in the family is another provoking factor for logoneurosis. Scandals, showdowns, misunderstandings between parents act as a chronic stressor. Particular importance is given to violence and dictatorship in a family environment. When faced with the problem of logoneurosis, many parents subconsciously choose the wrong path of response. The first reaction is resistance, rejection of the disease, the desire to get rid of the defect as quickly as possible.
Relatives who are little informed about the disease make fatal mistakes in teaching their children. They show increased control, anxiety, and force the baby to repeat phrases several times. The anxiety of loved ones is transmitted to the patient. In such a situation, the defect worsens. The mother's negative attitude towards the disease provokes increased attention to the speech defects of young patients, increasing sensitivity to the problem.
An examination of parents whose children suffer from logoneurosis revealed the following deviations in the mental state of adults, and, above all, the mother: guilt, anxiety, confusion, hopelessness, worry about the future of the baby. Futile attempts to eliminate the disease disorganize the family. Therefore, parents should pay attention to their condition, which is reflected in the psychological background of the little patient.
Based on the data obtained during conversations with mothers of sick children, it was possible to identify the following models of attitude towards the problem:
- an obstacle that needs to be overcome - we tried everything, this is the last hope;
- undeserved punishment, retribution for sins - why do we need this;
- a disease that needs treatment - he is sick because he is weak;
- tarnished reputation - where does this come from in our educated, wonderful family;
- manifestation of a difficult character - grimacing from harmfulness;
- absence of a problem - different things happen, and so it will pass.
All of these positions are destructive in relation to progress in the treatment of logoneurosis. Considering that children in most cases imitate the reactions of adults, it is hardly worth expecting an adequate assessment from the patient himself, and therefore a positive trend in the treatment of logoclonia.
The only correct response to a problem is to unite the family team. WITH
It is necessary to create a favorable atmosphere in the family for children, adequate participation in treatment without overprotection, but with support.
Parents must remember that their behavior has a powerful impact on the potential of their child.
Treatment and prognosis
Today, the treatment of such children includes not only medical, but also pedagogical influence.
- Use of medications. A huge number of different groups of drugs can be used in the treatment of stuttering. Let's look at the most common of them:
- 1. Nootropics (piracetam, pantogam, pantocalcin, phenibut).
- 2. Sedatives (valerian, phenibut, glycine, persen, afobazole, adaptol, novo passit). It is worth noting that many nootropics also combine sedative effects.
- 3. Vitamins, especially B vitamins (combilipen, compligam B, larigama).
One of the treatment methods is sessions with a speech therapist.
There are a huge number of methods for overcoming stuttering in children, as well as groups of drugs that can be used in individual cases. Many of you are interested in the question: “Can we help a child on our own, at home and without running to doctors? Is it possible to completely cure stuttering in a child? There are separate techniques that allow you to improve pronunciation and so on by practicing at home, but they are also selected by a specialist. As for the forecast, there is no clear statement. It can be assumed that the younger the child, the more cheerful and positive his behavior, the fewer concomitant psychopathological disorders, the weaker the manifestations of seizures, the better the prognosis.
Survey
The examination of such children should include consultation with specialists:
- speech therapist;
- neurologist;
- psychologist;
- if necessary, consult other specialists.
The main specialist involved in the treatment of stuttering in children is a speech therapist.
In the process of working with children, the speech therapist uses various textbooks, poems, fairy tales, and selects special toys.
The purpose of the examination is to determine the frequency, source of occurrence and form of speech spasms. The degree of stuttering and the patient’s speech abilities are also assessed. The second plan, if any, indicates accompanying speech defects.
At the end of the conversation with the patient, the speech therapist formulates a final conclusion.
