AM Johnson, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, the University of Western Ontario, London, ON.
SG Adams, PhD, Associate Professor, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, the University of Western Ontario, London, ON.
In addition to its widely recognized effects on gait, posture, balance, and upper limb coordination, Parkinson’s disease (PD) can have a profound effect on speech and voice, within a cluster of speech characteristics termed hypokinetic dysarthria. Although dopaminergic therapy produces significant benefits in the early stages of PD, speech symptoms may show selective resistance to pharmaceutical therapy in patients with a disease history of more than 10 years. This article discusses the pathophysiology of PD as it relates to speech disorders and considers nonpharmaceutical therapeutic options for hypokinetic dysarthria.
Key words: Parkinson’s disease, speech pathology, dysarthria, treatment.
