In which type of dysarthria does one often experience strained-harsh vocal quality?

Spastic dysarthria is characterized by a strained-harsh vocal quality due to the involvement of the upper motor neurons. This type of dysarthria typically arises from conditions that affect the central nervous system, such as stroke or cerebral palsy, leading to increased muscle tone (spasticity) and reduced control over the movements of the speech muscles.

The strained-harsh quality of voice occurs because the muscles that regulate vocal fold tension are affected, causing excessive tension and difficulty in fully relaxing during phonation. Individuals with spastic dysarthria often present with a slow, effortful speech that may appear labored, reflecting the struggle in managing this increased tone and vocal strain.

In distinguishing this from other types of dysarthria, hyperkinetic dysarthria is associated with involuntary movements that can lead to a variable vocal quality, flaccid dysarthria is characterized by weakness and breathiness due to lower motor neuron involvement, and ataxic dysarthria presents with irregular speech and prosody but does not typically feature the strained-harsh vocal quality associated with spastic dysarthria.