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Electrical Injuries: Communication and Speech disorders and AAC– What’s the next step?

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Electrical Injuries: Communication and Speech disorders and AAC — What’s the next step?

Original research discussing acquired communication disorders caused by electrical trauma which pose unique communication barriers due to their evolving symptom manifestation.

As the person ages away from the initial injury, communication barriers can become more pronounced with age.

This presentation provides details explaining how electrical trauma, repeated electrical trauma and lengthy exposure to other forms of non-ionizing radiation can impact speech and communication.

Following both UK’s National Radiological Protection Board and United States Gulf War Hearing recommendations to study electroconvulsive therapy recipients to better understand the heterogeneity of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative diseases.

I present four different case studies: Functional NeuroCognitive Imaging results and videos of ECT recipients now living with the neurological sequela of electrical injury which impacts speech and communication. It provides insights into the potential interventions which successfully work for the presenter who lives with speech and communication disorders as a result of chronic electroconvulsive therapy.

It identifies strategies to make alternative augmentative communication (AAC) less fatiguing for people who live with a history of chronic exposure to non-ionizing radiation. The presentation concludes with ideas for future research.

-Non-ionizing radiation exposures and subsequent neurodegenerative diseases (Progressive supranuclear palsy and Myoneural Disorders: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Motor Neuron Disease and Muscular Sclerosis).

  • Immediate and delayed consequences of Electrical Injury/Electromagnetic injury
  • Repetitive mild to moderate Traumatic Brain Injuries
  • Cognitive communication disorder -Anoxia/Hypoxia
  • Trigeminal, vagal and other cranial nerve dysfunction
  • Electroporation -Motor Neuron Dysfunction/Motor Neuron Loss
  • Demyelination -Episodic Paroxysmal Neuromuscular Disorders
  • Acquired Channelopathies
  • Thiols -Aphasia -Verbal Apraxia
  • Dysarthria, Anarthria
  • Preserving residual voice
  • Barriers to accessing AAC
  • Voice Banking

AAC Recommendations: The presentation is available with 1.0 CEU through “AAC in the Cloud” website (https://presenters.aacconference.com/videos/UXpVd1FUSXk=?from_search=1)

Read the script for my presentation with my slides by downloading it from ResearchGate.

Additional ECT Injury Resources

Sarah P. Hancock

Sarah Price Hancock, MS, CRC, lived for nearly two decades misdiagnosed with severe "treatment resistant" mental illness. She was given 116 bilateral ECT treatments and now lives with Delayed Electrical Injury's Myoneuroal Disorder. Sarah holds a Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling and taught for four years in San Diego State University’s Rehabilitation Counseling program. She is the Co-Founder and Trustee of the Ionic Injury Foundation. She also hosts The Emotional Self-Reliance Podcast and guest lectures on psychiatric recovery.