If you wish to know more information about Problems storing and retrieving Discomfort in chest or throat your diagnosis and support available in memories Recurrent chest infections your area, please visit the charity website Difficulty making sense of perceptions/ Increased phlegm which may be on concepts difficult to clear Problems with language (e.g. word- Fatigue when eating and drinking How PSP can affect finding difficulties) Reduced oral intake leading to communication? Difficulty sequencing actions, finding it malnutrition, weight loss and reduced harder to carry-out everyday tasks. energy, dehydration and constipation The majority of people diagnosed with How can Speech and Language How can Speech and Language PSP will experience problems with their communication. Therapy help? Therapy help? Typical characteristics include: It is important to identify symptoms of Your Speech and Language Therapist swallowing difficulties early. The Speech can: Slurred speech (dysarthria) and Language Therapist can offer advice Strained/harsh/hoarse/quiet voice regarding swallowing techniques, food/ Offer advice/ strategies and provide Speaking at a very fast rate drink texture modification (dependent on specific exercises/ programmes to help Reduced facial expression/ability to the stage of your condition) and saliva improve speech intelligibility maintain eye contact management. Introduce alternative communication Small handwriting systems, which can help you to They can provide compensatory strategies Reduced body language, including express yourself if speech becomes to help ensure food and drink is being hand gesture difficult swallowed safely. Alternative methods of eating and drinking (e.g. feeding tubes) People with PSP can experience How can PSP affect swallowing? may also need to be explored in the decreased cognitive functioning, which may also impact on communication. PSP may affect your ability to swallow. People may experience: Symptoms may include: Slow thinking/ slow learning/ reduced Coughing/ choking when eating and attention and inability to follow fast drinking conversations Drooling and poor saliva management of thought while Losing one’s train Difficulty clearing and controlling food/ speaking drink in the mouth Difficulties problem-solving and forward Delayed swallow reflex planning Food sticking in throat Problems swallow medication
If you wish to know more information about your diagnosis and support available in your area, please visit the charity website on How PSP can affect communication? The majority of people diagnosed with PSP will experience problems with their communication. Typical characteristics include: Slurred speech (dysarthria) Strained/harsh/hoarse/quiet voice Speaking at a very fast rate Reduced facial expression/ability to maintain eye contact Small handwriting Reduced body language, including hand gesture People with PSP can experience decreased cognitive functioning, which may also impact on communication. People may experience: Slow thinking/ slow learning/ reduced attention and inability to follow fast conversations Losing one’s train of thought while speaking Difficulties problem-solving and forward planning Problems storing and retrieving memories Difficulty making sense of perceptions/ concepts Problems with language (e.g. word- finding difficulties) Difficulty sequencing actions, finding it harder to carry-out everyday tasks. How can Speech and Language Therapy help? Your Speech and Language Therapist can: Offer advice/ strategies and provide specific exercises/ programmes to help improve speech intelligibility Introduce alternative communication systems, which can help you to express yourself if speech becomes difficult How can PSP affect swallowing? PSP may affect your ability to swallow. Symptoms may include: Coughing/ choking when eating and drinking Drooling and poor saliva management Difficulty clearing and controlling food/ drink in the mouth Delayed swallow reflex Food sticking in throat Problems swallow medication Discomfort in chest or throat Recurrent chest infections Increased phlegm which may be difficult to clear Fatigue when eating and drinking Reduced oral intake leading to malnutrition, weight loss and reduced energy, dehydration and constipation How can Speech and Language Therapy help? It is important to identify symptoms of swallowing difficulties early. The Speech and Language Therapist can offer advice regarding swallowing techniques, food/ drink texture modification (dependent on the stage of your condition) and saliva management. They can provide compensatory strategies to help ensure food and drink is being swallowed safely. Alternative methods of eating and drinking (e.g. feeding tubes) may also need to be explored in the
progressive%20supranuclear%20palsy%20(psp)%20-%20trifold%20leaflet%202017.docx