Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder that affects functioning throughout the entire body, becoming more prevalent over time.

Common speech signs of Parkinson's disease are poor articulation (“mumbling” quality), monotone speaking pitch, and low speaking volume.

Treatment

While there are medications to help with functioning in other parts of the body, there is no medicine to treat the effects of Parkinson's on the voice.

The current standard of care to improve voice and speech quality is an intensive therapy program called Lee Silverman Voice Treatment®. This program is designed to last four weeks with therapy sessions occurring four days each week.

This treatment can be initiated at any time, but is best done when symptoms are mild in order to maximize the ability to communicate. Specialists at Duke Voice Care Center offer this treatment in conjunction with your other Parkinson's disease treatments.