Quality of life (QoL) for people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is diminished by speech and communication changes. The impact of PD Check-In, an intervention for supported self-managed maintenance of speech… Click to show full abstract
Quality of life (QoL) for people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is diminished by speech and communication changes. The impact of PD Check-In, an intervention for supported self-managed maintenance of speech following LSVT LOUD®, on QoL of people with PD was investigated. Sixteen people with PD and dysarthria completed LSVT LOUD followed by PD Check-Ins up until 24 months post-treatment. Self-rated QoL and voice handicap scales were used to determine the psychosocial and perceived impact of PD Check-In on the speech and voice of people with PD. The perceived impact of PD Check-In on speech and voice was also sought from 15 communication partners (CPs). A significant treatment effect for time was identified for the Dysarthria Impact Profile (DIP), Voice Handicap Index (VHI), and Voice Handicap Index-Partner (VHI-P) (p < 0.05). There was no significant effect for time for the Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39). Planned comparisons of timepoints for DIP, VHI, and VHI-P showed no significant differences (p > 0.01). Comparison of perceived voice handicap by people with PD and CPs revealed no significant differences (p > 0.01). The impact of PD Check-In on QoL of people with PD and CPs for 24 months post-LSVT-LOUD is unclear. Self-reported outcome measures alone do not fully capture changes in QoL in PD.
               
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