J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2001;71:493-498 ( October )

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

L O Ramig^{a b}, S Sapir^b, S Countryman^b, A A Pawlas^b, C O'Brien^c, M Hoehn^d, L L Thompson^d

^a Department of Speech Language Hearing Sciences, University of Colorado-Boulder, Colorado, USA, ^b Wilbur James Gould Voice Center, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, 1245 Champa Street, Denver Colorado 80204, USA, ^c Colorado Neurological Institute, Englewood, Colorado, USA, ^d Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Health Science Center, Denver, Colorado, USA

Correspondence to: Dr L O Ramig ramig{at}spot.colorado.edu

Received 14 February 2000 and in revised form 11 May 2001; Accepted 23 May 2001

OBJECTIVESTo assess long term (24 months) effects of the Lee Silverman voice treatment (LSVT®), a method designed to improve vocal function in patients with Parkinson's disease.
METHODSThirty three patients with idiopathic Parkinson's 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).
RESULTSThe 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.
CONCLUSIONSThe 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 Parkinson's disease.


Keywords: voice treatment; efficacy; Parkinson's disease

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© 2001 by Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
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