Intensive voice treatment (LSVT(R)) for patients with Parkinson's disease: a 2 year follow up

TLDR

The study aimed to evaluate the long‑term (24‑month) effects of Lee Silverman Voice Treatment on vocal function in patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease. Thirty‑three Parkinson’s patients were randomized to receive either LSVT, which emphasizes high phonatory‑respiratory effort, or respiratory therapy alone, and vocal performance was assessed before, immediately after, and 24 months post‑treatment using acoustic measures of loudness (SPL) and fundamental‑frequency variability (STSD). LSVT produced significantly greater increases in SPL and STSD immediately after treatment and these improvements were sustained at 24 months, demonstrating its long‑term efficacy for voice and speech disorders in Parkinson’s disease.

Abstract

<h3>OBJECTIVES</h3> To assess long term (24 months) effects of the Lee Silverman voice treatment (LSVT®), a method designed to improve vocal function in patients with Parkinson9s disease. <h3>METHODS</h3> Thirty three patients with idiopathic Parkinson9s disease were stratified and randomly assigned to two treatment groups. One group received the LSVT®, which emphasises high phonatory-respiratory effort. The other group received respiratory therapy (RET), which emphasises high respiratory effort alone. Patients in both treatment groups sustained vowel phonation, read a passage, and produced a monologue under identical conditions before, immediately after, and 24 months after speech treatment. Change in vocal function was measured by means of acoustic analyses of voice loudness (measured as sound pressure level, or SPL) and inflection in voice fundamental frequency (measured in terms of semitone standard deviation, or STSD). <h3>RESULTS</h3> The LSVT® was significantly more effective than the RET in improving (increasing) SPL and STSD immediately post-treatment and maintaining those improvements at 2 year follow up. <h3>CONCLUSIONS</h3> The findings provide evidence for the efficacy of the LSVT® as well as the long term maintenance of these effects in the treatment of voice and speech disorders in patients with idiopathic Parkinson9s disease.