Assessment of non-progressive dysarthria: practice and attitude of speech and language therapists in Lebanon

BMC Neurology

Hiba Zein¹  Nour Koubaisy¹  Marwa Summaka²  Zeina Nasser³  Youssef Fares³  Hayat Harati³  Salem Hannoun⁴ 

[1] Department of Rehabilitation, Health, Rehabilitation, Integration and Research Center (HRIR), Beirut, Lebanon;Doctoral School of Sciences and Technology, Lebanese University, Hadath, Lebanon;Faculty of Medical Sciences, Neuroscience Research Center, Lebanese University, Hadath, Lebanon;Medical Imaging Sciences Program, Division of Health Professions, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon;

关键词: Non-progressive dysarthria;    Assessment;    Speech and language therapy;    Survey;    ICF;    Lebanon;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12883-021-02484-2

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundNon-progressive dysarthria is an acquired motor speech disorder resulting from neurological diseases such as stroke and traumatic brain injury. The evidence base for the assessment of non-progressive dysarthria remains limited with professional practices relying mainly on therapists’ clinical experience. Limited information on the assessment practices of Lebanese speech and language therapists (SLTs) is available. Such information is crucial for the development of adequate therapy services for clients with non-progressive dysarthria. This study aims to explore the assessment practices and attitudes of Lebanese SLTs working with adults with non-progressive dysarthria and to investigate their adherence to the framework of the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in Lebanon between March and May 2021. Data was collected through an online survey that included information on socio-demographic characteristics, practices, and attitudes of SLTs who assess adults with non-progressive dysarthria.ResultsA total of 50 Lebanese SLTs responded to the survey. The majority of SLTs (78%) assessed clients with non-progressive dysarthria across all ICF domains. SLTs reported dissatisfaction with the available assessment tools (64%) and reliance on informal tools (84%). In addition, 68% of the SLTs suggested the crucial need for the development of Arabic formal assessments that can quantitatively evaluate dysarthria and determine severity. The survey also showed that the respondents demonstrated a preference for the use of impairment-based tools.ConclusionIt can be concluded that the assessment practices of Lebanese SLTs, generally, follow the international trend and the recommended professional guidelines. Further research initiatives should be held to develop Arabic formal assessment tools for non-progressive dysarthria.

【 授权许可】

CC BY