The effects of cerebellar ataxia on sign language production: A case study

Abstract

Speech and sign production both require precise coordination of multiple articulators. The characteristics of dysarthria following ataxia have been well-documented, but less is known about the consequences of ataxia for sign language, which uses the hands and arms as articulators. This is the first study to examine ataxic dysarthria in a sign language user. What is novel in this research is that the limbs are employed for both linguistic and non-linguistic movements. Notably, sign production deficits broadly resembled ataxic dysarthria, while non-linguistic movement deficits were similar to those previously reported for ataxic limb movement.

Keywords:

• Sign language
• Dysarthria
• Limb movement
• Ataxia
• Cerebellum

This work was funded by the Wellcome Foundation (grant 053239), the Deafness Cognition and Language Research Centre (Economic and Social Research Council UK grant RES-620-28-6001), a grant from the National Institutes of Health (DC6523), and an ORS studentship from the British Council. The authors would like to thank Trudi Collier, the sign model, and the two Deaf individuals who participated in the study.

Notes

¹This paper uses ‘deaf’ to describe hearing loss, and ‘Deaf’ to describe the cultural group of sign language users.

²Not his real name.