Slow/rapid/incoherent speech can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'minor' to 'life-threatening'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.
Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose slow/rapid/incoherent speech, we could:
Cause | Probability | Status |
---|---|---|
Multiple Sclerosis | 90% | Confirm |
Stroke Risk | 51% | Possible |
Guillain-Barre Syndrome | 20% | Unlikely |
Epstein-Barr Virus | 4% | Ruled out |
Hypothyroidism | 0% | Ruled out |
Hypoglycemia | 0% | Ruled out |
Speech. Which word / phrase best describes the way you speak?
Possible responses:
→ Slowly→ Incoherently - people often don't understand me → Averagely - accurately / don't know → Rapidly |
A lack of physical or speech coordination is said to be a symptom.
Speech may be unintelligible, because the various muscles required to form speech are weakened.
Slurred speech is a possible sign of hypothyroidism.
Common signs that a stroke has occurred are difficulty speaking, slurred speech, or garbled speech.