Muscle Tone and the Speech-Language Pathologist: Definitions, Neurophysiology, Assessment, and Interventions

Abstract

Abnormal muscle tone is presumed to underlie certain types of dysarthria and dysphagia. However, the speech-language pathologist rarely assesses orofacial muscle tone, presumably because of a lack of training and the unavailability of adequate tools. This article reviews the general mechanisms underlying muscle tone, explains sensory and motor therapeutic strategies that target muscle tone, and introduces new measurement tools.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Mar 01, 2012
Source ID
10.1044/sasd21.1.9

Entities

People

  • Heather M. Clark
  • Nancy Pearl Solomon

Organizations

  • Appalachian State University

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Medicine

Readers

  • Neuroscience
  • Oncology
  • Systems Analysis and Design