A form of speech therapy developed in the United States for patients with Parkinson's disease has proven more effective than the standard NHS treatment, according to a recent trial. The condition affects about 150,000 people in the UK.
The trial revealed that Parkinson's patients who underwent an intensive course of "Lee Silverman Voice Treatment" (LSVT LOUD) showed significant improvement, while those who received standard NHS speech and language therapy did not. Developed in the 1980s in the United States, the Lee Silverman technique focuses on speaking more loudly.
For the study, published in the British Medical Journal, 388 participants with Parkinson's or speech difficulties were randomly assigned to one of three groups: the Lee Silverman voice treatment, NHS speech and language therapy, or no treatment at all.
The Lee Silverman group received four 50-minute sessions per week for four weeks, including exercises such as holding the sound “ah” for as long as possible and practicing speaking loudly and clearly while repeating sentences.
In contrast, the NHS speech and language therapy was delivered according to local provisions, averaging one session every other week for 11 weeks. The trial's findings demonstrated that the Lee Silverman treatment effectively reduced voice problems, while NHS therapy showed no benefit compared to no treatment.
