What are Acquired Neurogenic Communication Disorders?

Acquired neurological communication disorders (ANCDs) are a group of neurological conditions affecting a person’s speech abilities. These disorders can occur after any type of brain injuries, such as a stroke, tumor, or head injury. They can also develop from diseases like multiple sclerosis or cerebral palsy. Each acquired neurogenic communication disorder is unique but shares common symptoms, such as difficulty speaking, swallowing, or writing problems. It can affect any aspect of speech, including voice quality, fluency, and comprehension. The good news is that most cases of these disorders can be treated with speech therapy. 

If you or your beloved one have been diagnosed with a neurogenic communication disorder, it’s essential to understand what this means and how to best manage the condition. This blog post will overview ANCDs and suggest ways to get help.

How to Treat Neurological Disorders Affecting Speech?

Some common treatments include speech therapy, medications, and surgery, which are only considered when other treatments have been unsuccessful. In some cases, a combination of these treatments may be necessary. Every individual’s situation is unique. Therefore, therapy must be tailored to the specific needs of the individual. The most important thing is to work with a qualified healthcare professional to create a treatment plan that is right for you.

While the communication disorder may not be as noticeable in young children, it can become a big problem for adults. If you or someone you know has trouble speaking, it’s significant to understand the different neurogenic speech disorders and how they can be treated.

There are Two Main Types of Neurogenic Communication Disorders:

– Expressive disorders: This type of neurogenic affects a person’s ability to produce speech. It can make it challenging to find the right words, put thoughts into sentences, or make sounds when speaking.

– Receptive disorders: This type of communication disorder makes it difficult for a person to understand spoken language. It can be hard to follow conversations, remember what was said, or interpret nonverbal communication such as body language or tone of voice.

Both expressive and receptive disorders can range from mild to severe. Treatment for communication disorders will vary depending on the individual and the severity of the neurogenic disease. However, some general therapies can help.

Speech-language Therapy

A speech-language therapist can help people improve their communication skills by working on things like articulation, fluency, and voice production. They can also help with receptive language skills such as listening, understanding, and following directions. It is one of the most effective treatments for communication disorders.

Medication

It is important to consult a doctor or other medical professional to determine which medication is best for an individual’s situation. Because there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, the best medication for neurogenic communication disorders will vary depending on the specific disorder and its symptoms.

However, some common medications for this neurological disorder affecting speech include antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, antipsychotics, and seizure medications. These medications can help to relieve symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and psychosis, which can often accompany this disorder. Seizure medications can also help to control seizures that may occur in some individuals with these disorders. 

Schedule a Consultation with Lone Star Neurology doctors

While there is no cure for neurogenic speech disorders; however, many people can improve their communication skills by getting proper treatment to live relatively normal lives. At Lone Star Neurology, we have highly qualified doctors with years of experience helping patients with neurological issues, particularly acquired neurogenic communication disorders. We are always ready to provide professional and timely medical care. 

FAQ

• What are the major causes of neurogenic speech disorders?
  They include damage or injury to the nervous system affecting speaking ability. This can be caused by stroke, brain injury, Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease, and other conditions striking the nervous system.
• What is the most common neurogenic communication disorder?
  Aphasia is a common neurogenic communication disorder, which is difficulty understanding or producing spoken or written language. It can be caused by damage to any part of the brain involved in speech, but it most often occurs due to stroke or other damage to the brain’s left hemisphere. 
• What are some examples of neurogenic communication disorders?
  There are many examples of neurogenic communication disorders. Still, some of the more common ones include aphasia (difficulty understanding or producing language), apraxia (difficulty producing speech sounds), dysarthria (difficulty speaking due to muscle paralysis), and receptive or expressive language disorders (difficulty understanding or using spoken language).