22 May 2023 , 16:11
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Football legend and TV presenter Chris Kamara has been forced to pull out of presenting this year's UK's Strongest Man as he battles against the little-known condition apraxia of speech.
The neurological disorder can make it hard for a sufferer to pronounce some words. Last year, concerned viewers messaged the former midfielder on social media after the Sky Sports presenter appeared to be slurring his speech.
Later taking to Twitter, Chris posted that he has apraxia - a rare neurological condition that affects the body's ability to perform natural motor functions, with many sufferers developing problems talking.
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What is apraxia of speech?
Apraxia of speech (AOS) , also known as acquired apraxia of speech, verbal apraxia, or childhood apraxia, is a speech-sound disorder, which makes it harder for a sufferer to say what they need to.
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The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) says the condition disrupts the brain pathways used to plan the sequence of movements involved in speech. Frustratingly, the brain knows what it wants to say, but simply can't plan and sequence the necessary speech and sound movements.
The severity can vary from person to person, ranging from causing the sufferer problems with a handful of speech sounds through to being severe enough to needing an alternative way of communicating. Contrary to what some believe, AOS isn't actually caused by paralysis or weakness of the speech muscles.
What are the types and causes of apraxia of speech?
- Acquired AOS can affect someone at any age, although it most typically occurs in adults, says the NIDCD.
Acquired AOS happens when parts of the brain involved in speaking become damaged, leading to the loss or impairment of existing speech abilities. This can happen from a stroke, head injury, tumour, or other illness affecting the brain.
Acquired AOS may occur together with other conditions caused by damage to the nervous system. One of these is dysarthria - where you have difficulty speaking because the muscles you use for speech are weak.
Another is aphasia - when a person has difficulty with their language or speech. - Childhood AOS is present from birth, with the condition also known as developmental apraxia of speech, developmental verbal apraxia, or articulatory apraxia. Childhood AOS is not to be confused with developmental delays in speech, in which a child follows the typical path of speech development but does so more slowly than is typical, says the NIDCD.
The causes of childhood AOS are not well understood. Imaging and other studies have not been able to find evidence of brain damage or differences in the brain structure of children with AOS.
Children with AOS often have family members who have a history of a communication disorder or a learning disability. This observation and recent research findings suggest that genetic factors may play a role in the disorder. Childhood AOS appears to affect more boys than girls.
The main symptoms of apraxia of speech
- Errors in speech - A person with AOS might have problems saying a word properly, and then have difficulty repeating it. Yet on another day they may be able to say it correctly.
Sound distortion - A sufferer may find it hard to pronounce words correctly - with sounds, particularly vowels, becoming distorted. Often the longer, or more complicated the word, the harder it is to say. Sound substitutions may occur if AOS is accompanied by the aforementioned aphasia.
- Struggling to get the right sound - People with apraxia of speech can often appear to be reaching for the right sound they need, or for the correct word. It is common to repeat a word several times before saying it correctly.
- Errors in tone, stress, or rhythm of speech - Another common factor is the incorrect use of prosody - which is the patterns of stress and intonation when we speak. Someone struggling with prosody might use equal stress, segment syllables in a word, or leave out syllables in words or phrases, alternatively pausing inappropriately while speaking.
Flashback to then-Leeds United player Chris Kamara celebrating after the Yorkshire side were promoted to the 1st Division back in 1990. (Getty Images)Chris Kamara's apraxia and what it means for him
Chris Kamara is one of the most popular figures in English football following a stellar career as a player, manager, pundit and TV presenter. He has previously said that apraxia of speech "feels like someone has taken over my voice box".
He confirmed the news of him having to pull out of presenting this year's UK's Strongest Man via a tweet. Chris posted: "Due to my ongoing speech problems I have reluctantly pulled out of presenting this year’s UK’s Strongest Man. The show will be in Nottingham this weekend. If you fancy? Please go along - it’s spectacular."
Kamara was one of the most popular pundits on Soccer Saturday for more than two decades thanks to his unique style of reporting. His catchphrase "unbelievable Jeff" - delivered when talking to presenter Jeff Stelling - is one of the most iconic in the sport.
As well as working as a pundit, Kamara also established himself as a TV presenter. He co-hosted Goals on Sunday on Sky Sports for 22 years, with Ben Shephard joining him for much of that time. The two still host Kammy & Ben's Proper Football Podcast together.
Before moving into television, Kamara played top-fight football for Leeds, Luton, Sheffield United and Middlesbrough as a midfielder. He also played for Portsmouth, Swindon, Brentford, Stoke and Bradford lower down the English football pyramid.