Broca失語における口部顔面失行と発語失行の関係の検討

Relationships between buccofacial apraxia and apraxia of speech in patients with Broca's aphasia

　口部顔面失行と発語失行の関係を明らかにするために，脳血管疾患による右利きBroca失語症者20例に対して，口部顔面動作課題(単一動作，連続動作)と標準失語症検査補助テストの単音節構音検査を実施し，それぞれの得点間の比較・検討を行った．その結果，構音検査の得点は，単一動作課題の得点とは有意な相関を示さなかったが，連続動作課題の得点との相関は有意であった．また，単一動作課題の得点と連続動作課題の得点には相関が認められなかった．以上より，以下の2点が示唆された．1)口部顔面失行を評価する口部顔面の単一動作課題と連続動作課題は，それぞれ異なる機能をみている可能性がある．2)口部顔面失行を評価するときには，単一動作課題だけでなく連続動作課題も実施することで，患者の構音に関するより多くの情報が得られ，発語失行の予測にも役立つと考えられる．

　The aim of this study was to clarify relationships between buccofacial apraxia and apraxia of speech. The subjects were 20 right-handed patients with Broca's aphasia due to cerebrovascular diseases. They were asked to perform a buccofacial praxis test, which is comprised of single and sequential action tasks, and the monosyllable repetition subtest from the Standard Language Test of Aphasia Supplementary Test. The results revealed that the repetition test scores did not have a significant correlation with the single action task scores but had a significant correlation with the sequential action task scores. In addition, the correlation between the two action task scores was not significant. These results suggest the following conclusions:1) single and sequential action tasks offer an effective way to evaluate different functions of buccofacial praxis;2) when assessing patients' buccofacial apraxia, we should perform not only single action tasks but also sequential action tasks that may provide more useful information about patients' ability of articulation and predicting their apraxia of speech.