Speech Pathology Lecture Notes Review

Embolus

• A traveling blood clot that moves through the bloodstream.
• Can block an artery, often causing a stroke.

Thrombosis

• A blood clot that forms slowly over time.
• Usually due to plaque buildup in arteries.

Aneurysm

• A weak spot in an artery wall that balloons out.
• If it bursts, it can cause a hemorrhagic stroke.

Edema

• Swelling in body tissue, including the brain.
• Happens after injury like a stroke.
• Can interfere with recovery.

Clot

• A clump of blood cells and protein that forms to stop bleeding.
• In the brain, it can block blood flow and cause a stroke.

Bolus

• The soft mass of food or liquid that is formed in the mouth and swallowed.

Tumor

• An abnormal growth of tissue.
• Can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).
• May cause pressure or damage to the brain.

Stroke (CVA)

• When blood flow to the brain is stopped.
• Either by a blockage (ischemic) or bleeding (hemorrhagic).
• Causes brain damage.

Neoplasm

• A new and abnormal growth of tissue, often a tumor.

Jargon (in speech disorders)

• Speech that is fluent but filled with made-up words or meaningless phrases.
• Often seen in Wernicke’s aphasia.

Aspiration

• When food or liquid enters the airway (trachea) instead of the esophagus.
• Increases the risk of pneumonia.

Penetration (in swallowing)

• When food or liquid enters the larynx but doesn’t go below the vocal folds.

Deglutition

• The act of swallowing.

Hydration

• Having enough fluid in the body.
• Essential for overall health and safe swallowing.

Nutrition

• The intake of food to meet the body's energy and health needs.
• Swallowing problems can lead to poor nutrition.

Radiation (in dysphagia context)

• Radiation therapy to the head or neck (e.g., for cancer).
• Can damage muscles or nerves used in swallowing, causing dysphagia.

Dysphagia

• Difficulty swallowing.
• Can lead to malnutrition, dehydration, and aspiration pneumonia.

Aphasia

• A language disorder caused by brain damage, often from a stroke.
• Affects speaking, understanding, reading, and writing.

Swallowing Stages

• Four sequential stages:
  • Anticipatory – thinking about food; sensory awareness.
  • Oral – chewing and pushing food to the back of the mouth.
  • Pharyngeal – triggering the swallow reflex; closing airway.
  • Esophageal – moving food through the esophagus to the stomach.

Swallowing Stage Details

• Anticipatory: Smelling, seeing, and preparing to eat.
• Oral: Chewing (mastication), forming bolus, tongue pushes bolus back.
• Pharyngeal: Swallow reflex starts, vocal folds close, epiglottis covers airway.
• Esophageal: Bolus moves through esophagus to stomach via peristalsis.

Causes of Dysphagia

• Structural (e.g., oral cancer, cleft palate)
• Neuromuscular (e.g., stroke, ALS)
• Psychogenic (e.g., anxiety)
• Radiation-related (e.g., cancer treatment)
• Developmental (e.g., premature infants)

Gurgling or Wet Voice After Eating

• Often suggests aspiration or penetration—food or liquid entering the airway.

Brainstem and Swallowing

• The brainstem, specifically the medulla, contains nuclei for cranial nerves that control swallowing (e.g., vagus, glossopharyngeal, hypoglossal).

Dysphagia in Dementia

• Dementia affects memory and attention, leading to problems with initiating swallowing, forgetting to chew or swallow, and poor coordination.

Gastric Tube

• A tube inserted into the stomach to provide nutrition when oral feeding isn’t safe or possible.

Purposes of Eating

• Nutrition
• Hydration
• Pleasure/social interaction
• All are important for quality of life.

Dysphagia in Oral Cancer

• Surgery, radiation, or tumors can damage the tongue, jaw, or throat structures involved in swallowing.

Swallowing in Premature Babies

• Preemies often lack coordination between sucking, swallowing, and breathing.
• Feeding specialists help train these skills.

Dysphagia Assessment: Adults vs. Children

• Adults can often describe their symptoms; children may not.
• In pediatrics, SLPs use observation, parent reports, and check feeding milestones.

Chronological vs. Developmental Age in Children

• Chronological age = actual age in months/years.
• Developmental age = level at which the child functions (e.g., speech, cognition).
• SLPs use developmental age to choose appropriate assessment tools.

Language Impairment

• Difficulty with form, content, or use of language.

Language Impairment Effects on Children

• Infancy: Delayed babbling, poor eye contact.
• Preschool: Trouble forming sentences, vocabulary gaps.
• School-age: Struggle with reading, writing, following directions.

Dementia vs. Aphasia vs. Dysarthria vs. Apraxia

• Dementia: Memory + language decline (e.g., Alzheimer’s).
• Aphasia: Language problem (not motor). Often stroke-related.
• Dysarthria: Slurred speech due to weak muscles.
• Apraxia: Motor planning issue—can’t say words even if muscles work.

Conditions Affecting Short-Term Memory

• Dementia, especially Alzheimer’s.

Brain Hemisphere Responsibilities

• Left hemisphere: Language, math, logic.
• Right hemisphere: Emotions, attention, facial recognition, prosody.

Effects of Damage to Left vs. Right Hemisphere

• Left hemisphere damage: Aphasia, language problems.
• Right hemisphere damage: Pragmatic problems, emotion reading, neglect.

Alzheimer’s Causes

• Brain degeneration, plaque buildup, and tangled proteins (neurofibrillary tangles) disrupting neuron function.

Jargon in Aphasia

• Fluent but nonsensical speech, often seen in Wernicke’s aphasia.

Communication Difficulties in Children with Autism

• Pragmatics (use of language in social situations)
• Nonverbal communication (eye contact, gestures)
• Delayed language development
• Literal interpretation (trouble with figurative language)