What are the causes of slurred speech resulting from cerebral hemorrhage?
Jul 19, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Wang Lei
Introduction
In general, speech impairment caused by intracerebral hemorrhage may result from damage to the language center, pressure on nerves from the hemorrhage site, functional impairment due to cerebral edema, ischemia and hypoxia of brain tissue, or disruption of neural conduction pathways. It is recommended to seek timely medical attention, identify the underlying cause, and undergo symptomatic treatment under a doctor's guidance. Family members should patiently encourage the patient's communication attempts and avoid rushing or criticizing them.
Under normal circumstances, slurred speech caused by cerebral hemorrhage may be due to damage to the language center, compression of nerves by the hemorrhage site, functional impairment caused by cerebral edema, ischemia and hypoxia of brain tissue, or disruption of neural conduction pathways. It is recommended to seek timely medical attention, identify the underlying cause, and undergo symptomatic treatment under a doctor's guidance. Detailed explanations are as follows:
1. Damage to the language center: Direct hemorrhage in the cerebral cortex's language center leads to impaired language production or comprehension functions, manifesting as difficulty speaking and incoherent speech. Early language rehabilitation training is recommended, such as articulation exercises, short-sentence expression training, and auditory-reading training to stimulate recovery of the language center.
2. Nerve compression at the bleeding site: Hematomas formed by bleeding compress surrounding nerves related to language, causing temporary neural dysfunction. Slurred speech often improves as the hematoma is absorbed. Follow medical advice to use medications such as mannitol injection, glycerol fructose injection, and furosemide injection to reduce edema and promote hematoma absorption. Concurrent limb function training should also be conducted to prevent complications.
3. Functional impairment due to cerebral edema: Brain tissue edema after hemorrhage expands the lesion area, affecting language function zones, worsening speech disorders, and accompanied by headache and vomiting. Strict bed rest is necessary, avoiding emotional excitement. Follow medical advice to use medications such as dexamethasone injection, methylprednisolone sodium succinate injection, and human albumin to control cerebral edema, creating conditions for neural function recovery.
4. Cerebral tissue ischemia and hypoxia: Hemorrhage causes reduced blood flow to localized brain tissue, with hypoxic injury to language-related cells, resulting in slurred speech and limb weakness. Patients should follow medical advice to use medications such as cytidine diphosphate-choline sodium injection, edaravone injection, and butylphthalide soft capsules to improve cerebral circulation. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy should also be administered to enhance oxygen supply to brain tissue.
5. Disruption of neural conduction pathways: Severe hemorrhage damages the neural connections between the language center and other brain regions, severely impairing speech function and possibly causing aphasia. Long-term rehabilitation training is required, such as therapy using a swallowing and speech treatment device. If necessary, neural stem cell transplantation may be attempted to repair neural pathways, followed by postoperative administration of medications such as mecobalamin tablets, vitamin B1 tablets, and oryzanol tablets to nourish the nerves.
Family members should patiently guide the patient's expression, avoiding rushing or blaming them. Create a quiet communication environment for the patient, encouraging them to listen and speak more to gradually improve language abilities. Maintain a balanced diet, supplementing with proteins and vitamins to promote neural tissue repair.
