Authors: Jan Rusz Tereza Tykalová Jiří Klempíř Roman Čmejla Evžen Růžička
Publish Date: 2016/02/03
Volume: 123, Issue: 4, Pages: 379-387
Abstract
Although speech disorders represent an early and common manifestation of Parkinson’s disease PD little is known about their progression and relationship to dopaminergic replacement therapy The aim of the current study was to examine longitudinal motor speech changes after the initiation of pharmacotherapy in PD Fifteen newlydiagnosed untreated PD patients and ten healthy controls of comparable age were investigated PD patients were tested before the introduction of antiparkinsonian therapy and then twice within the following 6 years Quantitative acoustic analyses of seven key speech dimensions of hypokinetic dysarthria were performed At baseline PD patients showed significantly altered speech including imprecise consonants monopitch inappropriate silences decreased quality of voice slow alternating motion rates imprecise vowels and monoloudness At followup assessment preservation or slight improvement of speech performance was objectively observed in twothirds of PD patients within the first 3–6 years of dopaminergic treatment primarily associated with the improvement of stop consonant articulation The extent of speech improvement correlated with ldopa equivalent dose r = 066 p = 0008 as well as with reduction in principal motor manifestations based on the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale r = −061 p = 002 particularly reflecting treatmentrelated changes in bradykinesia but not in rigidity tremor or axial motor manifestations While speech disorders are frequently present in drugnaive PD patients they tend to improve or remain relatively stable after the initiation of dopaminergic treatment and appear to be related to the dopaminergic responsiveness of bradykinesia
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