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Contact: Donna Mancuso
Public Affairs Manager
(732) 499-6118
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For Immediate Release:
Special Speech Training Improves Intelligibility
for People with Parkinson’s disease
Rahway – The Speech Pathology Department at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway is now offering people with Parkinson’s disease Lee Silverman Voice Training (LSVT) to improve their speech intelligibility.
Often with Parkinson’s disease, muscles in the larynx weaken. While the person thinks he or she is speaking in a normal voice, their voice is in fact considerably lower, making it hard for spouses or caregivers to hear or understand them.
LSVT training involves 16 one-hour sessions over a course of a month with a speech pathologist specially certified in the technique. The training involves vocal exercises, drills and daily practice to strengthen laryngeal muscles. The training is covered by most insurance plans.
More than 90 percent of patients improve vocal loudness after the treatment, and about 80 percent maintain improvement for up to two years post treatment. Some 4,000 pathologists are certified in this technique in 41 countries.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 732-381-4200 extension 2115.
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