Towards movement-based outcome measures for apraxia of speech: a systematic review

ABSTRACTBackground: Apraxia of speech (AOS) is defined as a disorder of articulatory movements, yet a cohesive account of the movement deficit in AOS appears to be lacking. Kinematic evaluation yields precise and objective information regarding the movement deficit in AOS; however, it is an underutilised technique in AOS assessment and in the planning and delivery of treatment. Clearly defined kinematic features of AOS can potentially play a central role in the identification of treatment targets and in measuring treatment outcomes in AOS.Aims: The overall goal of this systematic review was to characterise the state of the science pertaining to kinematic features of acquired AOS. Specifically, we aimed to (1) characterise kinematic features that distinguish speech in AOS from healthy controls, and (2) determine how these features may vary as a function of task complexity and speaking condition. Five electronic databases were searched from their start-date up to July 2017 using the key terms AOS and speech...