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Italian Validation of a Test to Assess Dysarthria in Neurologic Patients: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study

De Biagi Francesca, Frigo Anna Chiara, Turolla Andrea, Nordio Sara, Berta Giulia and Meneghello Francesca

Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder that results from an impairment of the muscles devoted to speech production, thus affecting the movements of the orofacial district. The type and severity of dysarthria depend on which structures of the central or peripheral nervous system are affected. Due to the vast range of acute and progressive neurological disorders that may cause dysarthria, its prevalence may be not negligible. In Italian clinical practice dysarthria is assessed using a standardized protocol, which has never been validated. The aim of the study is to explore the intraand inter- reliability of a short-form of a protocol to assess dysarthria and compare scoring of the test face-to-face versus via video of patient assessment, which is broadly used in the Italian clinical practice. 50 dysarthric patients were enrolled for this pilot study and assessed by “Protocollo di Valutazione della Disartria”. Lin’s Concordance Correlation Coefficient (CCC) determined the consistency of measurements between the same rater and among different raters with different levels of expertise. Scoring was done both during face-to-face assessments and while watching video recordings of patients’ evaluations. Results indicated a good consistency of ratings in repeated measures over time (video-assessment intra-rater CCC>0.8). Nevertheless, inter-rater reliability was less satisfactory (video-assessment scoring inter-rater CCC<0.8), especially in the face-to-face administration of the protocol (face-to-face/video inter-rater CCC<0.8). In conclusion, the protocol showed to have potential clinical utility to assess dysarthria in neurological patients, due to its completeness and ease of training and administration. However generalizations of the findings are limited, due to the characteristics of the study. Indeed, further research is required for a better validation of the instrument.