Parkinson' s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by loss of dopamine-producing cells and affects mainly individuals over 60 years but a young onset subtype is also well recognized 1 . Motor limitations observed in PD are often attributed to basal ganglia dysfunction associated with decreased dopaminergic input to the sensorimotor region of the striatum 2 .The progressive neuronal loss is associated with a variety of motor and non-motor deficits in PD patients. In addition to the predominant symptoms such as muscular rigidity, tremor, bradykinesia and postural instability, many patients develop a distinctive alteration of voice and speech characterized as hypokinetic dysarthria . According to some authors, these changes may be present even before the onset of more overt PD manifestations 13 . Symptoms of PD begin characteristically above the age of 50 years with a mean age of onset around 60 years but some ABSTRACT Speech disorders are common manifestations of Parkinson´s disease. Objective: To compare speech articulation in patients according to age at onset of the disease. Methods: Fifty patients was divided into two groups: Group I consisted of 30 patients with age at onset between 40 and 55 years; Group II consisted of 20 patients with age at onset after 65 years. All patients were evaluated based on the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale scores, Hoehn and Yahr scale and speech evaluation by perceptual and acoustical analysis. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding neurological involvement and speech characteristics. Correlation analysis indicated differences in speech articulation in relation to staging and axial scores of rigidity and bradykinesia for middle and late-onset. Conclusions: Impairment of speech articulation did not correlate with age at onset of disease, but was positively related with disease duration and higher scores in both groups.Keywords: Parkinson´s disease, speech articulation, dysarthria.
RESUMODistúrbios da fala são comuns da doença de Parkinson. Objetivo: Comparar a articulação da fala de acordo com a idade de início da doença. Métodos: Cinquenta pacientes foram divididos em dois grupos: Grupo I consistiu de 30 pacientes com idade de início entre 40 e 55 anos; Grupo II foi composto por 20 pacientes com idade de início após os 65 anos. Todos foram avaliados pela Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, Hoehn and Yahr e análise perceptual e acústica da fala. Resultados: Não houve diferença estatística significativa entre os dois grupos quanto às características neurológicas e de fala. Análises de correlação indicaram diferença estatística significativa entre articulação da fala, estágio da doença e escores axiais, de rigidez e bradicinesia. Conclusões: A articulação da fala não se correlacionou com a idade de início da doença, mas foi positivamente relacionada à duração da doença e aos escores mais elevados nos dois grupos.Palavras-chave: doença de Parkinson, articulação da fala, disartria.