Comparison of Diadochokinetic Rate between Malayalam and Tamil Native Speakers

Diadochokinetic (DDK) rate represents an index for assessing oro-motor skills. It is commonly used in routine clinical evaluation of diseases of the central nervous system, disturbances of the peripheral sensory motor formations and immaturity of the speech mechanism. Oral DDK rates are a popular guideline for the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients with neurological deficit of the speech mechanism. But there is no culture and language specific (Indian Language) normative range for the application of oral DDK task. So the study aims to compare the diadochokinetic rate between Tamil and Malayalam speakers. Hundred healthy adults were recruited for the study within the age range of 20 to 25 years. Participants were grouped based on their native language (G1 & G2) and gender (F & M). The participants were asked to perform both AMR and SMR. The rate was accounted by Time-By-Count method. The result shows there is a significant difference (p<0.001) between the groups. DDK score was found to be higher in Malayalam speakers than Tamil speakers which reflect the faster rate of speech in Malayalam. So the study reflects the need for establishing language specific normative for accurate assessment and diagnosis.