Oral Diadochokinetic Rate in Adultst
BENJAMAS PRATHANEE, M.A.*
Affiliation : *Department of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand. t Presented at the Meeting of The Royal College of Otolaryngologists of Thailand, 3 April 1997.
Abstract
Diadochokinetic rate has traditionally been used for assessment, diagnosis and therapy
in patients who suffered from oral cancer resection, glossectomy, oral myofunctional disease,
dysphagia, dysarihria, functional articulation disorders or apraxia of speech. This is because
diadochokinetic rate shows the documented structural and physiological changes in the central
nervous system and the peripheral components of oral and speech production mechanism.
Diadochokinetic rates were obtained from seventy-six normal subjects by counting
the repetition of oral function (/a:-u:/; /u:-i:/; and /i:-a:/), tongue function (tongue movement
from side to side of lip corner and Ian Ian Ian Ian Ia), and lip-tongue function (lp-t-k/ and
tph-th-kht) in 15 seconds. The Count-by-Time test was used for data collection.
The finding showed average diadochokinetic rates (syllables or times per 15 seconds)
were 33.6, 33.16, 30.58; 24.21, 15.10, 26.50 and 26.30 for /a:-u:/, /u:-i:l, li:-a:l, tongue
movement from side to side of lip corner, Ian Ian Ian Ian Ia, /p-t-k/, and tph-th-kht. Most of the
correlation analysis showed a high positive relationship.
The results of this study are guidelines of normal diadochokinetic rates. In addition,
they can indicate the severity of diseases and evaluation of treatment.
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