Dysprosody is an alteration in the pronunciation and intonation of words , the cause of which has been linked to significant neurological damage. It is one of the manifestations of the Foreign Accent Syndrome, although it also occurs in people with Parkinson’s, among other conditions. It is also an alteration that has allowed the study of the relationships between language, affective state, emotional processing and communication.

Next we will see what dysprosody is and what its main characteristics are.

What is dysprosody?

The term “dysprosody” is composed, on the one hand, of the word “dys” which means separation, divergence or difficulty. And on the other hand, it is composed of the word “prosody”, which in grammar is the branch responsible for teaching the correct pronunciation and accentuation of words.

In phonology, the prosody studies the phonic features that affect the meter , for example the rhythm or the structure of the verses, but especially the accents and intonation.

Thus, dysprosody is the difficulty in pronouncing or properly intoning words . It is characterised by alterations in the intensity, pauses, rhythm, cadence and intonation of the words. As such, the person with dysprosody can understand the language and vocalize the desired responses, however, they find it difficult to control the way in which they pronounce these responses.

Dysprosody and foreign accent syndrome

One of the most studied conditions in relation to this is the foreign accent syndrome, which consists of a sudden pronunciation with unusual tone and accentuation.

In fact, the first studies on dysprosody are also the first studies done on this syndrome. At the beginning of the 20th century, the French neurologist Pierre Marie studied the case of a woman who, after suffering a cardiovascular accident, drastically and suddenly changed her intonation .

Although few, similar cases have since been reported, which have now led to the study of the relationship between hemiplegia and altered speech patterns.

Other conditions in which dysprosody can manifest itself are in Parkinson’s disease (in this case it has in fact been well studied), in Autism Spectrum Disorder, in some types of depression and schizophrenia .

Difference between dysprosody and prosodic disability

Manifested as a major change in intonation and pronunciation, dysprosody can be confused with the expression of a particular mood or even with difficulty in processing emotional information. However, this is not necessarily the case.

Important terms have emerged to differentiate between dysprosody and affective processing. One such term is “prosodic disability”.

While dysprosody refers to the absence of physical and/or linguistic means to indicate the affective state through intonation; prosodic disability refers to the opposite phenomenon: a previous “affective deficit” may be reflected through atypical prosodic schemes (Gallardo and Moreno, 2010).

Causes

The causes of dysprosody have been mainly attributed to severe neurological damage . The most studied have been tumours and brain trauma, generally caused by strokes, although in some cases it has also been related to brain and/or head trauma.

However cases of dysprosody have also been reported after surgery on the larynx , which may indicate that there is not necessarily a solely neurological etiology.

Recently, dysprosody has been explained by cognitive-affective functions related to cortical areas of the right brain hemisphere. Even more recently, research has begun to investigate the involvement of subcortical structure and the relationship of prosody with communication and emotional processing in different syndromes

Types of Dysprosody

From this, two main types of dysprosody have emerged, with also differential symptoms, linguistic type dysprosody and emotional type dysprosody. Each of these types refers to modifications in the person’s individual discourse, and far from being exclusive manifestations, both types are usually closely related .

Linguistic dysprosody

This is an alteration in the intention of the speech , mainly due to verbal variations. For example, it may be difficult for the person to state a question in a different way than a statement, which makes it difficult to communicate with other people. Likewise, it is difficult for the person to emphasize certain words or to reveal the intention of an expression.

2. Emotional dysprosody

It is characterized by a difficulty in transmitting or expressing emotions through speech , and may sometimes include difficulties in understanding the emotions that are transmitted in other people’s speech, precisely because of the important changes in intonation and the difficulty in controlling them.

The severity of emotional dysprosody can vary according to the neurological damage, and as we have said before, it does not mean that the person has lost the ability to experience emotions, but that there is a difficulty in expressing and/or understanding them. The latter has been especially important in understanding various psychiatric or neurological diagnoses such as those mentioned throughout this text.

Treatment

Dysprosody, especially of a linguistic type, is usually assessed and treated with speech therapy . Especially by including exercises to identify prosodic signals in natural situations, i.e. by practising everyday conversations.

Although their effects on emotional dysprosody are less promising, there are also strategies to improve the expression of emotions that complement speech therapies.

Bibliographic references:

  • Caekebeke, J.F., Schinkel-Jennekens, A., van der Linder, M.E., Bruruma, O.J. and Ross, R.A. (1991). The interpretation of dysprosody in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Journal Neurologycal, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 54(2): 145-148.
  • Gallardo, B. and Moreno, V. (Eds.). (2010). Clinical Linguistics Studies. Volume 5. Clinical Applications. University of Valencia: Valencia.
  • Sidtis, J. J. and Van Lancker, D. (2003). A Neurobehavioral Approach to Dysprosody. Seminars in Speech and Language, 24(2): 93-105.
  • Pell, M. (1999). Fundamental Frequency Encoding of Linguistic and Emotional Prosody by Right Hemisphere-Damaged Speakers. Brain and Language. 69 (2): 161–92.