Randomized trialIntensive voice treatment (LSVT) for patients with Parkinson's disease: a 2 year follow up
Intensive loud-voice therapy improved voice volume in Parkinson's disease, and gains lasted two years.
People with Parkinson's disease who received intensive LSVT voice treatment spoke more loudly and with more pitch variation than those who received breathing therapy alone, and the improvement was still there two years later.
- 33people with Parkinson's disease
- 24 monthsfollow-up after treatment
Why the study was done
Parkinson's disease often makes the voice quiet and monotone, which can make conversation hard. The Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) trains people to use more effort with their voice. Earlier studies showed short-term gains; this study asked whether they last.
What the researchers did
Thirty-three people with Parkinson's disease were randomly assigned to LSVT, which focuses on high effort in both voice and breathing, or to respiratory therapy, which focuses on breathing effort alone. Their voices were recorded while holding a vowel, reading a passage and talking freely, before treatment, right after it, and 24 months later.
What they found
- Right after treatment, the LSVT group had significantly greater gains in loudness and in pitch variation than the respiratory therapy group.
- Those gains were still present at the two-year follow-up.
What this means for families
Voice changes in Parkinson's disease can be treated, and intensive, focused therapy can bring improvements that last. A speech-language pathologist can assess voice and speech and recommend an approach.
Limits of the study
The study was small. The summary here is based on the published abstract, which reports the direction of the results rather than the exact measurements.
The original study
Ramig LO, Sapir S, Countryman S, Pawlas AA, et al. Intensive voice treatment (LSVT) for patients with Parkinson's disease: a 2 year follow up. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry. 2001;71(4):493.
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