A Pilot Study Comparing Speech Characteristics in People with Parkinson’s Disease and Controls Dancing Weekly Over 5-years
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Introduction
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects motor and non-motor functions. Speech impairments, such as reduced variability in pitch (F0SD) and intensity (IntSD), are commonly observed. Early identification of these changes through voice biomarkers offers a noninvasive approach for detecting PD, tracking disease progression, and investigating the effects of interventions on this population. This study investigates the impact of dance on people with PD voice features over a five-year period and explores whether dance interventions can mitigate these impairments.
Methods
A longitudinal dance program involved 29 individuals with PD and 29 healthy controls. Voice recordings were collected before and after dance sessions over five years (2014-2019) and analyzed using machine learning models to extract F0SD and IntSD. Statistical analyses, including ANOVA and mixed-effect models, were performed using R studio to evaluate group differences, longitudinal changes, and the effects of dance on voice parameters.
Results
The analysis revealed a significant main effect of time on F0SD, indicating measurable changes over the study period. However, the interaction between group and time was not statistically significant, suggesting similar trends in both groups. While the PD group did not exhibit the expected decline in F0SD seen in previous studies, IntSD remained largely unchanged, suggesting it may be less responsive to intervention.
Conclusion
These findings demonstrate the potential of F0SD and IntSD as biomarkers for tracking PD progression. Dance interventions provide measurable benefits for F0SD, though further research is needed to determine optimal intervention duration and explore additional speech features such as jitter, shimmer, HNR, and CPP. Early and targeted interventions, such as combining dance with speech therapy, may enhance communication abilities and improve the quality of life for individuals with PD.
