Patterns of laryngeal apraxia in two patients with Broca's aphasia

In this study the transillumination technique was applied to the study of laryngeal movements during speaking in two Broca's aphasics with apraxia of speech. In particular, laryngeal adductory and abductory gestures in the production of voiced and voiceless obstruents were analysed. The two patients presented disturbances concerning movement shape, amplitude, and timing. Patient 1 had particular problems in the initiation of laryngeal adduction. These observations are compared to the patients' clinical patterns of apraxic speech and are discussed in the light of earlier studies of apraxic speech.