dysprosody

Dysprosody refers to abnormalities in prosody, the features of speech related to rhythm, pitch, intonation, and loudness. It can affect both the production and, in some cases, the perception of prosody, leading to speech that sounds flat, erratic, or emotionally mismatched.

Common features include a monotone voice with reduced pitch variation, inappropriate or exaggerated intonation, irregular rhythm, abnormal stress patterns, and altered speaking rate. These changes can diminish the emotional coloring and pragmatic nuance of speech, making it harder to convey intent or sarcasm, questions, or emphasis.

Dysprosody typically arises from neurological conditions that affect the networks responsible for prosody. It is frequently seen after right-hemisphere stroke or traumatic brain injury, where it is often described as aprosodia. Left-hemisphere involvement can also disrupt prosody. Degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease, and developmental conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, can exhibit prosodic abnormalities as well.

Dysprosody is distinct from other speech disorders. Aprosody (or aprosodia) refers specifically to loss of emotional prosody, while dysprosody denotes abnormal prosody more broadly, including monotone or exaggerated patterns. It is also separate from dysarthria, which primarily concerns articulation, and from aphasia, which concerns language content.

Assessment is usually conducted by a speech-language pathologist using perceptual ratings and acoustic analyses of pitch, loudness, and rhythm. Management focuses on prosody training, sometimes including melodic intonation therapy, rhythm-based pacing, breath support, and cue-based practice. Prognosis varies with the underlying cause and severity, with improvement possible through targeted therapy.