Background Dysarthria frequently occurs as a result of stroke and adversely impacts speech sound production, making it more difficult for the listener to understand what the person with dysarthria is attempting to communicate. This in turn may lead to social isolation, depression, and increased cost of care. Some studies have underscored the importance of respiratory muscle strengthening as it relates to improvement of speech intelligibility. This retrospective investigation examined the effects of a combined Respiratory Muscle Training (cRMT) protocol upon speech intelligibility in persons post single cerebrovascular accident (CVA). Methods The clinical data of 10 patients who requested pro bono speech therapy for the diagnosis and treatment of dysarthria following a single stroke was utilized for this study. The intervention group was treated with three 5-minute sessions with cRMT each day for 28 consecutive days. The control group received no cRMT and no other therapeutic exercise intervention during the time period. Respiratory and speech intelligibility were assessed pre- and post-intervention in terms of peak expiratory flow, subject self-perception of intelligibility, and word level intelligibility. Results After 28 days of cRMT, the intervention group exhibited significant gains compared to the control group in PEF (IG: 73.12% vs CG: 4.66%), Self-Perception of Intelligibility (IG: 72.38% vs CG: 0.83%), and the word task of the Assessment of Intelligibility of Dysarthric Speech (AIDS) (IG: 43.92% vs. CG: 0%). Conclusion These data suggest cRMT is a feasible and effective treatment for improving breath support and speech intelligibility in persons with dysarthric speech.

Background: Limited access to the comprehensive assessment of disorders of the upper aerodigestive tract is a barrier to care in rural health facilities. Assessment of the full aerodigestive tract requires a variety of specialists. The inability to access the necessary specialists can result in misdiagnosis, underdiagnosis, and increased associated mortality. Currently, no single differential diagnostic exam comprehensively assesses all functions of the upper aerodigestive tract to bridge this gap. The purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility and safety of a novel procedure called ADS that can bridge this gap. Methods: Results from 18,464 ADS procedures were retrospectively analyzed for feasibility, safety and comfort. Results: 96.8% of ADS procedures were successfully completed without complication, confirming the efficacy of the procedure. Conclusions: ADS is a single procedure for the assessment of physiological functions of the upper aerodigestive tract, including swallow, voice, respiration, and cough while also screening for impaired gastric retention and obstructive sleep apnea, which may pose additional urgent and emergent airway threats. ADS may improve health outcomes in underserved populations, e.g., those in a rural community, referred to by other health professionals due to complaints of aerodigestive symptoms and signs.