Development and validation of the dysarthria impact scale: a patient-reported outcome for motor speech disorders

Abstract

Background: Impaired speech due to dysarthria significantly impacts quality of life. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) offer critical insight into the lived experience of communication disability and are central to regulatory frameworks for patient-focused drug development. Objectives: To develop and validate the Dysarthria Impact Scale (DIS), a brief PRO designed to assess the impact of motor speech disorders on quality of life across neurological conditions. Methods: A multi-site, cross-sectional study was conducted with 244 participants, including individuals with Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, hereditary ataxias, and head and neck cancer, and healthy controls. The 22-item DIS ..