Lee Silverman Voice Treatment for dysarthria in patients with Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract

Approximately 89% of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) suffer from dysarthria. Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT), a behavioral therapy, aims to improve speech and voice functions. The objective was to assess the effectiveness of LSVT compared with other/no speech interventions for dysarthria in patients with PD. Electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library, were searched. The publication date of all included studies was before 6 March 2020. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the LSVT intervention compared with other/no speech intervention were considered. The data obtained from the included studies were described and the mean differences were calculated. Eight RCTs were included in this meta‐analysis comparing LSVT with other/no speech interventions. In the comparison of LSVT versus no intervention, vocal intensity for sustained ‘Ah’ phonation, reading the ‘Rainbow passage’, monologue and describing a picture increased by 8.87, 4.34, 3.25 and 3.31 dB, respectively, after 1 month of therapy. Compared with the respiratory therapy group, the LSVT group also showed significant improvement in vocal intensity for sustained ‘Ah’ phonation, reading the ‘Rainbow passage’ and monologue immediately after treatment (13.39, 6.66 and 3.19 dB). Positive improvement still existed after 24 months. There was no difference in the therapeutic effect between face‐to‐face and online LSVT. The effectiveness of LSVT for dysarthria in patients with PD was verified in these trials. However, future RCTs with sufficient participants are essential to evaluate the effectiveness of LSVT for dysarthria.

Treatment Options for Motor and Non-Motor Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease

“…The reduction of dopamine in PD typically softens the voice and limits the body movements of PwP. Two programs called LSVT-LOUD [43][44][45] and LSVT-BIG [31,[46][47][48] are directly targeted to helping the PwP speak louder and make larger movements, respectively.…”

“…The majority of PwP have speech/voice dysfunction negatively impact communication. LSVT (Lee Silverman Voice Treatment)-LOUD enhances the voice, increases vocal loudness (by improving articulation, vocal quality, and intonation), and positively alters PwP functional skills communication [43][44][45]. PwP also typically have a movement that is slow (bradykinesia) and hesitant (akinesia) with smaller amplitude (hypokinesia).…”

“…Afterwards, PwP can use these exercises from each program to continue on their own. While there are other programs that provide similar assistance, LSVT-LOUD [43][44][45] and LSVT-BIG [31,[46][47][48] pioneered these programs specifically to help rehabilitate PwP [49]. Treatment options for PD.…”

Integrative Analysis of lncRNA and mRNA and Profiles in Postoperative Delirium Patients

“…Previous research found that there are a large number of mRNA changes in various brain diseases ( Tao et al, 2019 ; Bucher et al, 2020 ; Guo X. et al, 2020 ; Jiang et al, 2020 ; Wang et al, 2020 ; Yang et al, 2020 ; Yuan et al, 2020 ; Zhu et al, 2020 , 2021 ). Transcriptomic profiles from mRNA sequencing of peripheral blood with urinary tract infection patients showed that all patients with delirium had significant complement system activation compared to non-delirious patients ( Kalantar et al, 2018 ).…”

P2X4R Overexpression Upregulates Interleukin-6 and Exacerbates 6-OHDA-Induced Dopaminergic Degeneration in a Rat Model of PD

“…Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a prospective treatment for PD, especially in patients with dementia, anxiety, and addiction (Tan et al, 2020 ). Novel behavioral treatment techniques may provide new directions for PD patients, such as Lee Silverman Voice Treatment for dysarthria (Yuan et al, 2020 ). From the current research, the inflammatory response is closely related to the occurrence and development of PD.…”