Parkinson's Disease related voice disorder

It has been estimated that more than 70% of patients with Parkinson’s disease experience voice and speech disorders. Some report that dysphonia, impairment in the ability to speak normally, is one of the disease’s most disruptive symptoms.

People with Parkinson’s induced dysphonia are described as having a harsh, weak or breathy quality to their voices. There are, however, medical and behavioral treatments that may lead to voice improvements. Both vocal chord injections and voice therapy have shown some of the most positive results with the least amount of patient discomfort.

Injection treatment

Good outcomes have been reported from vocal fold injections of various types, including collagen. Injections seem to increase vocal efficiency for Parkinson’s patients, which may reduce vocal fatigue and provide a useful addition to voice therapy.

Studies of vocal fold injections have been shown to be safe, well tolerated, and as reported by some patients, effective as a temporary method for improving voice and speech.

Injection treatments also result in lower levels of patient stress as they can be safely performed at an office visit.

Voice therapy treatment

Studies and patient/doctor observations support that voice therapy can produce significant improvements in overall communication for neurological-based dysphonia, such as Parkinson’s disease.