To Treat or Not to Treat: A Scoping Review of Speech Treatment for Dysarthria in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

ABSTRACT:

Background

Speech loss is recognised as one of the most devastating outcomes for individuals with ALS, yet active speech intervention is rarely targeted in this population. Clinicians face significant challenges in managing dysarthria associated with ALS due to the rapidly progressive nature of the disease, historical concerns around intensive exercise accelerating decline, and an absence of direction on restorative and compensatory intervention strategies in current clinical care guidelines. This review evaluates the scope and quality of evidence for speech treatments in ALS to identify knowledge gaps and establish research priorities to guide clinical care.

Methods

Studies were retrieved from six electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Cochrane library, Web of Scienc

SUBMITTER: Whelan BM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12523638 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature