Volunteers needed for UQ Parkinson’s Disease research to improve speech

University of Queensland researchers are seeking people with Parkinson’s Disease who have a difficulty with their speech to participate in a research project.

The Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) will be used to treat the speech problem. This can be carried out via the Internet or face-to-face and will be delivered intensively over 16 sessions for one hour per day, for four days per week, for four weeks.

Researcher Associate Professor Deborah Theodoros from UQ’s Division of Speech Pathology said people with Parkinson’s Disease frequently developed soft, indistinct and monotonous speech that significantly affected their ability to communicate with other people.

“To date, the most effective treatment for the speech disturbance seen in those with Parkinson’s Disease is the LSVT program that focuses on improving the individual’s vocal loudness and quality, resulting in improved speech intelligibility,” Dr Theodoros said.

During the study, free taxi transport will be provided for people to travel to and from the UQ’s St Lucia campus for assessment and treatment.

If you would like further information or wish to take part in the research project, please contact Gabriella Constantinescu (telephone 07 3346 7467, email gabriellac@shrs.uq.edu.au) or Associate Professor Deborah Theodoros (telephone 07 3365 2806, email d.theodoros@uq.edu.au).

Media: for more information, contact Chris Saxby at UQ Communications (telephone 07 3365 2479, email c.saxby@uq.edu.au).