Föreläsningar och seminarier Predisputationsseminarium: Hanna Steurer

Hanna Steurer
Enheten för logopedi
Institutionen för klinisk vetenskap, intervention och teknik

Abstract

Most individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) experience changes in speech, voice, and communication. These communication impairments, along with cognitive and psychiatric changes, often lead to reduced participation in various life activities and decreased quality of life. HiCommunication is a new group intervention program for speech and communication, specifically designed for individuals with Parkinson's disease. This program is based on principles of motor learning and aspects promoting neuroplasticity, aiming to enhance transfer of improved speech and voice techniques into everyday situations.

The general aim of this thesis was to characterize dysarthria in people with mild to moderate PD and, in a randomised controlled trial (RCT), investigate the effectiveness of the HiCommunication intervention. A comprehensive approach was used, which included acoustic and audio-perceptual analysis of speech and voice, disease-related measures, cognitive assessments, as well as structural and functional neuroimaging. Additionally, the thesis aimed to explore the feasibility of using real-time monitoring in an RCT to assess improvements in speech and voice in daily life following intervention.

During the seminar, the background, methodology, and results of the various studies in the thesis project will be presented.