Document Type : Original Articles
Authors
- Maedeh Enayati 1
- Majid Soltani 1, 2
- Negin Moradi 3
- Mohammad Jafar ShaterzadehYazdi 4
- Parvaneh Rahimifar 1, 2
- Maryam Dastoorpour 5
- Nastaran Majdinasab 6
1 Rehabilitation Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
2 Department of Speech Therapy, School of Rehabilitation, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
3 Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, USA.
4 Rehabilitation Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. Department of Physiotherapy, School of Rehabilitation, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
5 Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology , Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
6 Department of Neurology, School of Medicine , Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Abstract
Background: Dysarthria is a neurological motor speech disorder resulting from impairments in the neuromuscular control of speech. The underlying pathophysiological disturbances affecting speech control and execution arise from one or more sensorimotor abnormalities. Few studies have simultaneously compared the effects of different practice schedules on speech motor learning in both healthy individuals and patients with dysarthria. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of blocked and random practice on speech motor learning in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) and dysarthria compared with healthy controls.
Methods: The participants included 34 individuals with multiple sclerosis and dysarthria and 34 healthy controls. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two practice conditions: blocked practice or random practice. They were instructed to produce the target phrase three times at their normal speaking rate.
Results: No significant differences were observed between blocked and random practice in the patient group during the pre-practice, practice, or retention sessions. In contrast, among the healthy controls, significant differences were observed between the blocked and random practice groups during the pre-practice and retention sessions (p ≤ 0.001). In contrast, no significant difference was found during the practice session. Specifically, healthy participants who received blocked practice performed better than those who received random practice during the pre-practice and retention sessions.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that the appropriate selection and application of blocked and random practice schedules at different stages of motor learning may enhance the acquisition and retention of speech motor skills.
Keywords
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