Dysarthria and anarthria

This code signifies a speech disorder characterized by difficulty articulating words due to neurological damage affecting the muscles involved in speech production (dysarthria), or a complete inability to articulate speech (anarthria). It reflects impaired motor control of the vocal apparatus, leading to slurred, slow, or otherwise difficult-to-understand speech.

Use this code for patients presenting with acquired speech articulation difficulties or complete loss of speech articulation not specifically linked to a cerebrovascular event. Documentation should clearly state a diagnosis of dysarthria or anarthria and rule out a stroke or other cerebrovascular disease as the direct cause.

• Do not use this code if the dysarthria is explicitly documented as a sequela of cerebrovascular disease; instead, refer to codes in category I69.
• Ensure documentation specifies the underlying cause of the dysarthria/anarthria if known, as this may require additional codes.
• This code represents a symptom; consider if a more specific underlying neurological condition can also be coded.