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

Objectives-To assess long term (24 months) effects of the Lee Silverman voi ce treatment (LSVT(R)), a method designed to improve vocal function in pati ents with Parkinson's disease. Methods-Thirty three patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease were stra tified and randomly assigned to two treatment groups. One group received th e LSVT(R), which emphasises high phonatory-respiratory effort. The other gr oup received respiratory therapy (RET), which emphasises high respiratory e ffort alone. Patients in both treatment groups sustained vowel phonation, r ead a passage, and produced a monologue under identical conditions before, immediately after, and 24 months after speech treatment. Change in vocal fu nction was measured by means of acoustic analyses of voice loudness (measur ed as sound pressure level, or SPL) and inflection in voice fundamental fre quency (measured in terms of semitone standard deviation, or STSD). Results-The LSVT(R) was significantly more effective than the RET in improv ing (increasing) SPL and STSD immediately post-treatment and maintaining th ose improvements at 2 year follow up. Conclusions-The findings provide evidence for the efficacy of the LSVT(R) a s well as the long term maintenance of these effects in the treatment of vo ice and speech disorders in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease.