Muteness
Encyclopedia
Muteness or mutism is an inability to speak caused by a speech disorder
. The term originates from the Latin word mutus, meaning "silent".
required for speech (the throat
, vocal cords, lungs, mouth
, or tongue
, etc.). Being mute is often associated with deafness as people who have been unable to hear from birth may not be able to use articulate speech (see Deaf-mute
). A person can be born mute, or become mute later in life as a result of injury or disease.
is a disorder related to social anxiety in which people are unable to speak in specific anxiety-producing situations but speak fluently in more comfortable situations.
Hearing mutism is an obsolete term used in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century for specific language impairment
.
Akinetic mutism
is inability to speak (mutism) and move (akinesia). It is the result of severe frontal lobe
injury in which the pattern of inhibitory control is one of increasing passivity and gradually decreasing speech and motion.
in order to communicate.
Speech disorder
Speech disorders or speech impediments are a type of communication disorders where 'normal' speech is disrupted. This can mean stuttering, lisps, etc. Someone who is unable to speak due to a speech disorder is considered mute.-Classification:...
. The term originates from the Latin word mutus, meaning "silent".
Causes
Those who are physically mute may have problems with the parts of the human bodyHuman anatomy
Human anatomy is primarily the scientific study of the morphology of the human body. Anatomy is subdivided into gross anatomy and microscopic anatomy. Gross anatomy is the study of anatomical structures that can be seen by the naked eye...
required for speech (the throat
Throat
In vertebrate anatomy, the throat is the anterior part of the neck, in front of the vertebral column. It consists of the pharynx and larynx...
, vocal cords, lungs, mouth
Mouth
The mouth is the first portion of the alimentary canal that receives food andsaliva. The oral mucosa is the mucous membrane epithelium lining the inside of the mouth....
, or tongue
Tongue
The tongue is a muscular hydrostat on the floors of the mouths of most vertebrates which manipulates food for mastication. It is the primary organ of taste , as much of the upper surface of the tongue is covered in papillae and taste buds. It is sensitive and kept moist by saliva, and is richly...
, etc.). Being mute is often associated with deafness as people who have been unable to hear from birth may not be able to use articulate speech (see Deaf-mute
Deaf-mute
For "deafness", see hearing impairment. For "Deaf" as a cultural term, see Deaf culture. For "inability to speak", see muteness.Deaf-mute is a term which was used historically to identify a person who was both deaf and could not speak...
). A person can be born mute, or become mute later in life as a result of injury or disease.
Variations
Selective mutismSelective mutism
Selective mutism is an anxiety disorder in which a person, most often a child, who is normally capable of speech is unable to speak in given situations, or to specific people...
is a disorder related to social anxiety in which people are unable to speak in specific anxiety-producing situations but speak fluently in more comfortable situations.
Hearing mutism is an obsolete term used in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century for specific language impairment
Specific language impairment
Specific language impairment is diagnosed when a child's language does not develop normally and the difficulties cannot be accounted for by generally slow development , physical abnormality of the speech apparatus, autistic disorder, acquired brain damage or hearing loss.-Overview:Specific...
.
Akinetic mutism
Akinetic mutism
Akinetic mutism is a medical term describing patients who tend neither to speak nor move . It is the result of severe frontal lobe injury in which the pattern of inhibitory control is one of increasing passivity and gradually decreasing speech and motion.An example of a cause of this disorder...
is inability to speak (mutism) and move (akinesia). It is the result of severe frontal lobe
Frontal lobe
The frontal lobe is an area in the brain of humans and other mammals, located at the front of each cerebral hemisphere and positioned anterior to the parietal lobe and superior and anterior to the temporal lobes...
injury in which the pattern of inhibitory control is one of increasing passivity and gradually decreasing speech and motion.
Coping with mutism
Some mute patients have adapted with their disability by using machines that vibrate their vocal cords, allowing them to speak. Others learn sign languageSign language
A sign language is a language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses visually transmitted sign patterns to convey meaning—simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speaker's...
in order to communicate.
See also
- DysarthriaDysarthriaDysarthria is a motor speech disorder resulting from neurological injury of the motor component of the motor-speech system and is characterized by poor articulation of phonemes...
- AphasiaAphasiaAphasia is an impairment of language ability. This class of language disorder ranges from having difficulty remembering words to being completely unable to speak, read, or write....
- AutismAutismAutism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
- AphoniaAphoniaAphonia is the inability to speak. It is considered more severe than dysphonia. A primary cause of aphonia is bilateral disruption of the recurrent laryngeal nerve, which supplies nearly all the muscles in the larynx...
- Speech delaySpeech delaySpeech delay, also known as alalia, refers to a delay in the development or use of the mechanisms that produce speech. Speech, as distinct from language, refers to the actual process of making sounds, using such organs and structures as the lungs, vocal cords, mouth, tongue, teeth, etc...
- DyslaliaDyslaliaDyslalia means difficulties in talking due to structural defects in speech organs. It doesn't include speech impairment due to neurological or other factors....
- Deafness
- Developmental disabilityDevelopmental disabilityDevelopmental disability is a term used in the United States and Canada to describe lifelong disabilities attributable to mental or physical impairments, manifested prior to age 18. It is not synonymous with "developmental delay" which is often a consequence of a temporary illness or trauma during...
- Augmentative and Alternative CommunicationAugmentative and alternative communicationAugmentative and alternative communication is an umbrella term that encompasses the communication methods used to supplement or replace speech or writing for those with impairments in the production or comprehension of spoken or written language...
- Healing the deaf mute of Decapolis Healing the deaf mute of DecapolisHealing the deaf mute of Decapolis is one of the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels, namely Mark 7:31-37. Its narration offers many parallels with the healing of the blind man of Bethsaida in Mark 8:22-26....