Dopaminergic medications result in variable effects on speech for individuals with Parkinson's disease

摘要

No significant group differences were reported between "on" and "off" medication conditions for the perceptual parameters of understandability, naturalness, or voice quality. Performance varied across speakers with difference scores revealing that 6 of the 15 participants exhibited pronounced positive or negative differences in ratings for at least one of the perceptual dimensions.The group with IPD spoke significantly more slowly in the "on" medication condition in both monologue and passage reading.As a group, there were no significant effects of medication on listeners' ratings of understandability, naturalness, or voice quality. There was, however, considerable individual variation with changed medication state. Speaking rate was significantly slower in the "on" medication condition.