Additional evidence for a therapeutic effect of dextromethorphan/quinidine on bulbar motor function in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A quantitative speech analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

A recent double-blind placebo-controlled crossover 70-day trial demonstrated that a fixed combination of dextromethorphan and quinidine (DM/Q) improves speech and swallowing function in most patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In this study, a subset of participants, many of whom did not substantially improve while on DM/Q, were re-evaluated using computer-based speech analyses and expert clinician ratings of the overall severity of speech impairment.

Methods

Speech samples were recorded from the subset of 10 patients at four visits made at approximately 30-day intervals. The recordings were analysed by automated computer-based analysis of speech pausing patterns. Severity of speech impairment was rated by three experienced speech-language pathologists using di

SUBMITTER: Green JR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6256051 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature