Chapter 6 1
Chapter 6: Unilateral Upper Motor Neuron Dysarthria
QUESTIONS
Multiple Choice
1. Of the following statements regarding unilateral upper motor neuron dysarthria, which of the
following is FALSE?
A. It was relatively recently that this dysarthria was recognized as a motor speech disorder.
B. The available definitions of unilateral upper motor neuron dysarthria all mention
articulation deficits as primary characteristics of this dysarthria.
C. Darley et al. classified unilateral upper motor neuron dysarthria as one of the separate
dysarthrias before 1980.
D. Effects of unilateral upper motor neuron dysarthria on speech production have been
recognized for many years.
2. What is the definition of unilateral upper motor neuron dysarthria?
A. Unilateral upper motor neuron dysarthria is a motor speech disorder caused by unilateral
damage to the upper motor neurons that supply cranial nerves and spinal nerves involved
in speech production.
B. Unilateral upper motor neuron dysarthria is a cognitive disorder caused by unilateral
damage to the upper motor neurons that supply cranial nerves and spinal nerves involved
in speech production.
C. Unilateral upper motor neuron dysarthria is a motor speech disorder caused by bilateral
damage to the upper motor neurons that supply cranial nerves and spinal nerves involved
in speech production.
D. Unilateral upper motor neuron dysarthria is a motor speech disorder caused by unilateral
damage to the lower motor neurons that supply cranial nerves and spinal nerves involved
in speech production.
3. Regarding the neurologic basis of unilateral upper motor neuron dysarthria, which of the
following is TRUE?
A. Damage occurs to upper motor neurons on one side of the brain.
B. It can occur only after damage to the left hemisphere.
C. Most of the cranial nerves serving speech muscles receive unilateral innervation from the
upper motor neurons.
D. Most of the cranial nerves serving speech muscles receive bilateral innervation from the
lower motor neurons.
4. The most common cause of unilateral upper motor neuron dysarthria is:
A. stroke
B. tumors
C. traumatic brain injury
D. viral infections
Chapter 6 4
19. Exaggerating consonants is also known as ___________.
20. Minimal contrast drills require the patient to concentrate n producing pairs of words that vary
by only one___________.
ANSWERS
Chapter 6 5
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Rationale: Co-occurring speech and language disorders might be difficult to clearly diagnose in
unilateral upper motor neuron dysarthria because the patient’s verbal output may be limited.
9. D
Rationale: Unilateral upper motor neuron dysarthria is principally a disorder of articulation.
10. B
Rationale: Unilateral upper motor neuron damage typically affects the tongue and lower face
much more than it does other speech production structures.
11. B
Rationale: The primary difficulty for nearly all patients with unilateral upper motor neuron
dysarthria is imprecise consonant production.
12. C
Rationale: Patients with unilateral upper motor neuron dysarthria often have mild to moderate
harsh vocal quality. It is suggested this may be due to: a dysphonia that appears normally in
many elderly individuals; mild vocal-fold weakness or spasticity following unilateral upper
motor neuron damage; the presence of a previously known lesion, now combined with upper
motor neuron lesion of the opposite side of the brain causing vocal fold spasticity; or a general
medical condition such as an illness or inactivity and consequently cannot be attributed directly
to upper motor neuron damage.
13. D
Rationale: Duffy (2005) reported that when prosody is affected, the most likely cause is a
slightly slow rate of speech.
14. C
Rationale: Medical records, conversational speech or reading a paragraph, AMR tasks, and
prolonged vowels are valuable in diagnosing unilateral upper motor neuron dysarthria.
15. B
Rationale: Treatment of unilateral upper motor neuron disorders includes traditional articulation
tasks.
Completion
16. articulation
