Conversational Vocal Intensity in Parkinson's Disease: Treatment and Environmental Comparisons

Daily Phonatory Activity of Individuals With Parkinson's Disease

PURPOSE

This study evaluated the amount of phonatory activity of Persons with Parkinson disease (PwPD) compared to adults without Parkinson's disease measured over 3 days. The relationship between the amount of phonatory activity and Voice Handicap Index (VHI) total score was assessed as were differences in voicing activity across 3 days of data collection.

METHODS

Fifteen PwPD receiving dopaminergic medication and fifteen age and sex matched adults without Parkinson's disease completed the VHI and then wore a VocaLog vocal monitor (VM) for 3 consecutive days. From the VM data, the number of 1-second windows with dB sound pressure level > 0 were summed as a measure of phonatory activity (PA) and reported relative to the time the VM was worn (%PA).

RESULTS

The percentage of time the VM was worn did not differ between groups or across days. The PwPD had statistically significantly fewer minutes of PA per day than controls (F = 21.782, P < 0.001) by 54 minutes on average. The %PA also differed significantly (F = 31.825, P < 0.001) with a mean of 11.1% for PwPD and 18.6% for controls. Neither PA nor %PA differed across the 3 days of vocal monitoring. VHI total score was significantly correlated with PA (r = -0.436, P = 0.016) and %PA (r = -0.534, P = 0.002) for all participants.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate that PwPD engaged in less verbal communication in their daily environment compared to adults without Parkinson's disease. The findings support reports in the literature indicating that PwPD often have reduced communication participation. Measures such as %PA could serve as a quantifiable metric in future studies assessing communication changes in PwPD as a function of disease progression or therapeutic interventions.

Using Portable Voice Accumulators to Study Transfer of Speech Outcomes Following Intervention - A Feasibility Study

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the process and scientific feasibility of using a portable voice accumulator (PVA) to study carry-over of treatment effects on speech and voice in people with mild-moderate Parkinson's disease.

METHODS

The study was guided by the checklist in Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) 2010 statement: extension to randomized pilot and feasibility trials. Participants with Parkinson's disease were recruited within the context of a randomized controlled trial with random allocation to intervention with either HiCommunication, a program targeting speech and communication, or HiBalance, a program targeting balance and strength. Before and after intervention data was collected from standardized studio recordings of speech and registrations of voice use in daily life with the PVA VoxLog.

RESULTS

Fifteen participants were included in the study and sufficient data was yielded from six of them. Reasons for insufficient data included technical issues and difficulties handling the PVA. Changes in voice sound level from pre to post intervention differed at an individual level when assessed in daily life compared to studio recordings. Registrations in daily life provided information on phonation ratio and ability to adapt voice sound level to environmental noise.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the challenges of studying intervention effects on voice use in daily life using a PVA. Improvements of test protocols in future studies are suggested. We exemplify how PVA data may generate a more detailed and ecologically valid picture of voice use complementing studio recordings of speech. Finally, we encourage technical development of more user-friendly PVAs.