A UQ study could revolutionise treatment programs for people suffering speech problems following serious head injury.

The study has revealed for the first time exactly how the lips and tongue work in people with speech difficulties resulting from traumatic brain injury (TBI).

School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences research officer Justine Goozee's PhD thesis is believed to be the first to use electropalato-graphy (EPG) and electromagnetic articulography (EMA) instruments with people suffering dysarthria as a result of TBI.

Dysarthria is a neuro-motor speech disorder caused by nervous system damage. It affects the motor control of muscles used for speech and often results in reduced intelligibility.

"Dysarthria is a major problem, particularly for young people affected by TBI, because communication difficulties can really affect their ability to reintegrate into society," Ms Goozee said.

In the past, people had to use limited x-ray based techniques to establish how the tongue moved during speech, she said.

But the safer, more comprehensive physiological assessments done by the EPG and EMA systems identify underlying problems by showing exactly how the tongue moves.

"They provide direct and objective information which is more helpful than the subjective information gathered through traditional methods (listening to and watching the patient speak)," she said.

The EPG and EMA systems have been used for assessment before, but Dr Goozee and Motor Speech Research Unit researchers are working on using them to create a biofeedback program, whereby patients can immediately see their results on a screen and improve their performance by watching it.

Justine Goozee www.uq.edu.au/uqresearchers/researcher/goozeejv.html

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