Hypokinetic dysarthria is a motor speech disorder often associated with Parkinson's disease (PD). This can occur if there is interference in the basal ganglia control circuit. These disturbances can include “degenerative, vascular, traumatic, infectious, inflammatory, neoplastic, and toxic metabolic diseases (Duffy, 2013, p. 176). » Damage to the basal ganglia control circuit results in reduced range of movement as well as the inability to inhibit involuntary movements. Hypokinetic dysarthria is most commonly caused by PD; a progressive neurogenic disease characterized by tremors, rigidity, slowness of movement and lack of coordination. Eighty-seven percent of cases of hypokinetic dysarthria are associated with degenerative disease (Duffy, 2013). Nonverbal signs associated with hypokinetic dysarthria may include features related to the face, eyes, hands, arms, and trunk. The individual may have an expressionless face as well as weakness in hand, arm, and facial gestures that would normally match the person's prosody when speaking. Overall, their social interactions with others may be devoid of emotion. Eye blinks occur less frequently than normal and their gaze does not match where they are looking. These patients rarely swallow, which leads to drooling. Tremor may be present in the jaw, lips, and tongue as well as limitation of movement during speech, although the strength of these structures is often normal. The most common speech symptom is hypophonia, which is a reduction in vocal volume. Hypokinetic dysarthria is often associated with pitch and loudness variables where a patient may be monotonous or exhibit monophony (Johnson and Adams, 2006). Speech movements...... middle of paper ......thrie in Parkinson's disease. Retrieved from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/521623McHenry, M.A. (2003). The effect of stimulation strategies on the variability of speech movement sequences in dysarthria. Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research, 46, 702-710. doi: 10.1044/1092-4388(2003/055)Van Nuffelen, G., De Bodt, M., Vanderwegen, J., Van de Heyning, P. and Wuyts, F. (2010).Effect of rate controls on speech production and intelligibility in dysarthria. FoliaPhoniatrica et Logopaedica, 110-119. doi:10.1159/000287209Yorkston, KM, Hammen, VL, Beukelman, DR, & Traynor, CD (1990). The effect of rate control on intelligibility and naturalness of dysarthric speech. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 55, 550-560. doi: 10.1044/jshd.5503.550