noun
- Loss or severe impairment of the ability to articulate speech, typically due to neurological damage or muscular dysfunction.
Usage: Medical/clinical term; Often used in neurology and speech pathology
Examples
- The patient developed anarthria following a severe stroke that affected the motor cortex.
- Anarthria can result from damage to the nerves controlling the muscles used in speech.
- Speech therapists work with individuals experiencing anarthria to develop alternative communication methods.
- The neurologist diagnosed anarthria based on the patient's inability to produce intelligible speech sounds.
- Anarthria differs from aphasia in that it involves motor control rather than language comprehension.