Cognition and its assessment in motor speech disorders

Motor speech disorder (MSD) rarely occurs as an isolated sequel to or sign of neurological damage. The causative injury in dysarthria and apraxia of speech commonly results in a variety of impairments, and resultant limitations in activity and participation, relating to physical, sensory, psychological and cognitive domains. These impairments may negatively impact on individual presentation, prognosis for maximization of communication status, and speech management. For a high proportion of the MSD population, ability and performance are further compromised by natural aging or concomitant diseases, including dementia. Surgical and pharmaceutical interventions and the potential of the latter to interact with neuropathology may also affect individual status. The focus of this chapter is the cognitive status of the person with MSD, with reference to some common pathologies, and its relevance to motor speech assessment. Cognitive assessment is also considered, with particular attention to published tools which may inform the speech-language pathologist (SLP), about the cognitive status of the individual with MSD.