Dysprosody: symptoms, causes and treatment

Dysprosody is an alteration in the pronunciation and intonation of words., the cause of which has been linked to significant neurological damage. It is one of the manifestations of the Foreign Accent Syndrome, although it also occurs in people with Parkinson's, among other conditions. It is also an alteration that has made it possible to study the relationships between language, affective state, emotional processing and communication.

Next we will see what dysprosody is and what its main characteristics are.

• Related article: "The 8 types of speech disorders"

What is dysprosody?

The term "dysprosody" is composed, on the one hand, of the word "dis" which means separation, divergence or difficulty. And on the other hand, it is made up of the word "prosody", which in grammar is the branch in charge of teaching the correct pronunciation and accentuation of words.

In phonology, prosody studies the phonic features that affect the meter, for example the rhythm or the structure of the verses, but especially the accents and intonation.

Thus, dysprosody is the Difficulty pronouncing or intoning words properly. It is characterized by alterations in the intensity, pauses, rhythm, cadence and intonation of words. As such, the person who has dysprosody can understand language and vocalize responses. desired, however, they find it difficult to control the way in which they state said answers.

Dysprosody and foreign accent syndrome

One of the most studied conditions in relation to this is the foreign accent syndrome, which consists of a sudden pronunciation with unusual tone and accentuation.

In fact, the first studies in dysprosody are also the first studies carried out with this syndrome. At the beginning of the 20th century, the French neurologist Pierre Marie studied the case of a woman who, after suffering a cardiovascular accident, he drastically and suddenly changed his intonation.

Although they have been few, since then similar cases have been reported, which have currently led to the study of the relationship between hemiplegia and alteration in speech patterns.

Other conditions in which dysprosody can manifest is in Parkinson's (in this case it has in fact been widely studied), in Autism Spectrum Disorder, in some types of depression and schizophrenia.

• You may be interested in: "Foreign Accent Syndrome: symptoms, causes and treatment"

Difference Between Dysprosody and Prosodic Disability

Manifesting as a major change in intonation and pronunciation, dysprosody can be confused with the expression of a certain state of mind or even with a difficulty processing emotional information. However, it is not necessarily so.

To establish differences between dysprosody and affective processing, important terms have emerged. One of them is “prosodic disability”.

While dysprosody refers to the absence of physical and/or linguistic means to indicate the affective state through intonation; prosodic disability refers to the opposite phenomenon: a previous "affective deficit" it can be reflected through atypical prosodic schemes (Gallardo and Moreno, 2010).

Causes

The causes of dysprosody have been attributed mainly to severe neurological damage. The most studied have been brain tumors and traumas, generally caused by accidents. cerebrovascular accidents, although in some cases it has also been related to brain trauma and/or cranial.

Nevertheless cases of dysprosody have also been reported after surgery on the larynx, which may indicate that there is not necessarily a solely neurological etiology.

Dysprosody has recently been explained by cognitive-affective functions related to cortical areas of the right cerebral hemisphere. And even more recently, the participation of the structure has begun to be investigated. subcortical and the relationship of prosody with communication and emotional processing in different syndromes

types of dysprosody

From the above, two main types of dysprosody have emerged, with also differential symptoms, linguistic dysprosody and emotional dysprosody. Each one of these types refers to the modifications in the individual speech of the person, and far from being exclusive manifestations, both types are usually closely related.

1. Linguistic type dysprosody

Is about an alteration in the intention of the speech, mainly due to verbal variations. For example, it may be difficult for the person to phrase a question other than a statement, making it difficult to communicate with other people. He also has difficulty emphasizing certain words or revealing the intention of an expression.

2. emotional type dysprosody

It is characterized by a Difficulty conveying or expressing emotions through speech, and can sometimes include difficulties in understanding the emotions that are conveyed in the speech of the other people, precisely due to the important changes in intonation and the difficulty to control them.

The severity of emotional dysprosody can vary depending on the neurological damage, and as we have said before, it does not mean that the person has lost the ability to experience emotions, but that there is a difficulty to express them and/or understand them. The latter has been especially important in understanding different psychiatric or neurological diagnoses such as the ones we have mentioned throughout this text.

Treatment

Dysprosody, especially of a linguistic type, usually evaluated and treated with speech therapy. Above all, including exercises to identify prosodic signals in natural situations, that is, practicing everyday conversations.

Although its effects on emotional dysprosody are less promising, there are also strategies to improve the expression of emotions that complement speech therapies.

Bibliographic references:

• Caekebeke, J.F., Schinkel-Jennekens, A., van der Linder, M.E., Bruruma, O.J. and Ross, R.A. (1991). The interpretation of dysprosody in patients with Parkinson's disease. Journal Neurologycal, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 54(2): 145-148.
• Gallardo, b. and Moreno, V. (Eds.). (2010). Clinical Linguistics Studies. Volume 5. Clinical Applications. University of Valencia: Valencia.
• Sidtis, J. J. and Van Lancker, D. (2003). A Neurobehavioral Approach to Dysprosody. Seminars in Speech and Language, 24(2): 93-105.
• Pell, M. (1999). Fundamental Frequency Encoding of Linguistic and Emotional Prosody by Right Hemisphere-Damaged Speakers. Brain and Language. 69 (2): 161–92.