Telematic Application of an Integrated Speech Therapy and Choral Singing Protocol in People with Parkinson’s Disease
Erica Campanella, Anna Rita Dellomonaco, Benedicta Mangione, Angela Tedesco, Marilina Notarnicola, Teresanna Illuzzi, Antonella Spigonardo, Roberta Di Fede, Valentina Lavermicocca
Speech disorders, characterized by changes in voice, articulation, prosody and resonance, involve more than 80% of people with Parkinson's disease (PD). A large body of evidence supports the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT®️) and other vocal therapies, including choral singing and music therapy, for the rehabilitation of voice and language impairments in PD. The authors, in collaboration with a non-profit PD association, have been conducting an integrated programme of speech therapy and choral singing for years. In March 2020, due to Covid-19 lockdown, a «telematic» reorganization of the rehabilitation programme became necessary, allowing patients to carry on all the activities they had started prior to the pandemic emergency. Many studies sustain and promote the use of tele-rehabilitation in the treatment of patients with PD. This article describes materials and procedures for the telematic application of an integrated protocol of speech therapy and choral singing in patients with PD. At the end of the new telematic rehabilitation programme, patients were asked to provide feedback through a focus group, to highlight the limitations and the advantages of this new modality. All the feedback and information collected were used to evaluate the degree of satisfaction concerning the new way of conducting the standard protocol.
Keywords
Parkinson’s disease, Voice, Speech disorder, Choral singing, Tele-rehabilitation.