360 Participants Needed

Listener Training for Parkinson's Disease

Recruiting at 1 trial location
SY
SB
Overseen ByStephanie Borrie, PhD
Age: 18+
Sex: Any
Trial Phase: Academic
Sponsor: Utah State University
No Placebo GroupAll trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Trial Summary

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Listener Training for Parkinson's Disease?

Research on similar treatments, like the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT/LOUD), shows that training vocal loudness can improve speech and communication in Parkinson's patients. This suggests that Listener Training, which may involve similar auditory and vocal exercises, could also help improve communication for those with Parkinson's Disease.12345

Is Listener Training safe for humans?

There is no specific safety data available for Listener Training in the provided research articles.16789

How does the Listener Training treatment for Parkinson's Disease differ from other treatments?

Listener Training is unique because it focuses on improving auditory processing and communication, which are often impaired in Parkinson's Disease. Unlike traditional treatments that primarily address motor symptoms, this approach targets non-motor symptoms by enhancing the ability to hear and understand speech, potentially improving overall communication and quality of life for patients.110111213

What is the purpose of this trial?

Listener training offers a promising avenue for improving communication for people with dysarthria due to Parkinson's disease by offsetting the intelligibility burden from the patient onto their primary communication partners. Here, we employ a repeated-measures, randomized controlled trial to establish the efficacy of listener training for patients with PD and their primary communication partners. This translational work will establish a new realm of clinical practice in which the intelligibility impairments in PD are addressed by training partners to better understand dysarthric speech, thus elevating communication outcomes and participation in daily life.

Research Team

SB

Stephanie Borrie, PhD

Principal Investigator

Utah State University

KL

Kaitlin Lansford, PhD

Principal Investigator

Florida State University

SY

Sarah Yoho Leopold, PhD

Principal Investigator

Utah State University

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for people with Parkinson's disease who have speech difficulties (dysarthria). It focuses on improving how well they are understood by training their main conversation partners. Participants must be diagnosed with Parkinson's and experience communication challenges.

Inclusion Criteria

I have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
I have been diagnosed with a speech disorder known as hyperkinetic dysarthria.
Primary language is English

Exclusion Criteria

I have significant memory or thinking problems.
Primary language other than English
I am under 18 years old.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Training

Listeners receive training to improve understanding of dysarthric speech from patients with Parkinson's Disease

4 weeks
Weekly sessions

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for retention of intelligibility improvements and other communication benefits

4 weeks
1 visit (in-person), 1 visit (virtual)

Treatment Details

Interventions

  • Listener Training
Trial Overview The study tests 'Listener Training' to see if it helps improve understanding of speech in those with dysarthria from Parkinson's. The trial randomly assigns participants to receive this training or not, measuring the effectiveness through repeated measures.
Participant Groups
2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Placebo Group
Group I: Experimental ConditionExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Listener receives speech of patient with dysarthria
Group II: Control conditionPlacebo Group1 Intervention
Listener receives speech of speaker with no speech disorder

Find a Clinic Near You

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Utah State University

Lead Sponsor

Trials
48
Recruited
5,200+

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

Collaborator

Trials
377
Recruited
190,000+

Florida State University

Collaborator

Trials
234
Recruited
41,100+

Findings from Research

In a study of 35 Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients and 35 age-matched controls, PD patients showed slightly worse sensorineural hearing loss, which can hinder communication, highlighting the need for early identification of auditory issues in this population.
Despite 77% of PD patients being suitable for hearing aids, only 26% actually used them, indicating a gap in the management of hearing loss that could improve communication with caregivers and healthcare providers.
Auditory Processing Abilities of Parkinson's Disease Patients.Folmer, RL., Vachhani, JJ., Theodoroff, SM., et al.[2018]
A 59-year-old male with progressive supranuclear palsy showed significant improvements in speech rate, vocal intensity, and overall intelligibility after using a delayed auditory feedback device for three months.
The subject and his family reported high satisfaction with the device, suggesting it may be an effective tool for enhancing communication in individuals with speech disorders.
DAF as instrumental treatment for dysarthria in progressive supranuclear palsy: a case report.Hanson, WR., Metter, EJ.[2019]
A study involving 20 participants with Parkinson's disease tested different biofeedback configurations using a portable voice accumulator (VoxLog) to improve vocal loudness during speech.
The optimal configuration for effective feedback was found to be activating when the speaker's volume fell below 3 dB of their average loudness, with a response time of 500 ms, achieving a feedback frequency of 21.2%.
Motor-Learning-Based Adjustment of Ambulatory Feedback on Vocal Loudness for Patients With Parkinson's Disease.Gustafsson, J., Ternstrรถm, S., Sรถdersten, M., et al.[2022]

References

Auditory Processing Abilities of Parkinson's Disease Patients. [2018]
DAF as instrumental treatment for dysarthria in progressive supranuclear palsy: a case report. [2019]
Motor-Learning-Based Adjustment of Ambulatory Feedback on Vocal Loudness for Patients With Parkinson's Disease. [2022]
The science and practice of LSVT/LOUD: neural plasticity-principled approach to treating individuals with Parkinson disease and other neurological disorders. [2022]
A microcomputer-based wearable biofeedback device to improve transfer of treatment in parkinsonian dysarthria. [2019]
COLLISION AVOIDANCE TRAINING USING A DRIVING SIMULATOR IN DRIVERS WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE: A PILOT STUDY. [2021]
Exercise and motor training in people with Parkinson's disease: a systematic review of participant characteristics, intervention delivery, retention rates, adherence, and adverse events in clinical trials. [2021]
Gait training with progressive external auditory cueing in persons with Parkinson's disease. [2022]
Auditory Cueing for Gait Impairment in Persons With Parkinson Disease: A Pilot Study of Changes in Response With Disease Progression. [2020]
The effects of two different auditory stimuli on functional arm movement in persons with Parkinson's disease: a dual-task paradigm. [2019]
11.United Statespubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Auditory Dysfunction in Parkinson's Disease. [2021]
12.United Statespubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Central auditory processing in parkinsonian disorders: A systematic review. [2021]
Is there a divided attention deficit in patients with early Parkinson's disease? [2021]
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