Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore how the functional impact of Parkinson's disease affects participation and to evaluate whether positive psychological capital (PsyCap) mediates the relationship within the context of the World Health Organization International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health Model. Method:…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to quantify changes in acoustic distinctiveness in two groups of talkers with Parkinson's disease as they modify across a wide range of speaking rates. Method: People with Parkinson's disease with and without deep brain stimulation and older healthy controls read 24 carrier phrases at different speech rates.…

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to quantify the combined effects of face masks and effortful speech styles on speech intensity, spectral moments, and measures of spectral balance in talkers with Parkinson's disease. Method: Fifteen people with Parkinson's disease and 15 healthy, older controls read aloud sentences in three face mask…

Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to examine sensory and auditory memory limitations on intensity resolution in individuals with Parkinson's disease as compared to healthy older and younger adults. Method: Nineteen individuals with Parkinson's disease, 10 healthy age- and hearing-matched adults, and 10 healthy young adults were…

Background: Acquired brain injury (ABI), such as Parkinson's disease, dementia or stroke, can result in communication difficulties that lead to an impoverished ability to connect meaningfully with others. Choral singing is a complex task that uses multiple brain regions which are also responsible for language and communication skills. The…

The association between a word and typical location (e.g., cloud-up) appears to modulate healthy individuals' response times and visual attention. This study examined whether similar effects can be observed in a clinical population characterized by difficulties in both spatial representation and lexical processing. In an eye-tracking experiment,…

Prior research suggests that autistic adults are at increased risk for developing the core motor components of Parkinson's disease (i.e. parkinsonism) although knowledge is limited to date. Therefore, we explore: (1) the prevalence of both continuous self-reported motor features typical of parkinsonism and the screen positivity rate for…

Purpose: Almost 90% of people with Parkinson's disease (PD) develop voice and speech disorders during the course of the disease. Ventilatory dysfunction is one of the main causes. We aimed to evaluate relationships between respiratory impairments and speech/voice changes in PD. Method: At Day 15 from admission, in consecutive clinically stable PD…

Purpose: Cognitive impairment is one of the most debilitating nonmotor symptoms in Parkinson disease (PD), and its presentation is heterogeneous. One proposed model to explain cognitive variability in PD is the dual-syndrome hypothesis. This hypothesis delineates two cognitive profiles, a "fronto-striatal" profile and a "posterior…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the presence and progression of self-perceived speech and swallowing impairments in newly diagnosed people with Parkinson's disease (PD) longitudinally across 6 years. Method: Longitudinal data from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative were analyzed across six consecutive years in a…

Loss of social supports and community programs due to lockdowns and other measures associated with COVID-19 has been linked to concerns over mental health and feelings of isolation. These challenges can be particularly acute for the elderly and people living with chronic or pervasive health conditions. "Dance for PD," a program…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine a potential increased cognitive processing bottleneck within Parkinson disease (PD) by extending a previous overlapping task methodology. Additionally, this study extends previous overlapping task methodology in PD to examine the influence of modality (vocal vs. manual) on response delays in…

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) can affect social interaction and communication as well as motor and cognitive processes. Speech is affected in PD, as is the control of voluntary eye movements which are thought to play an important role in 'turn taking' in conversation. Aims: This study aimed to measure eye movements during spoken…

This case study examined the contents and experiences of people participating in a weekly leisure dance class geared towards people with Parkinson's disease. Using critical geragogy as a conceptual framework, we examine how the conditions of this program support lifelong learning through both the content and the learning environment. Participants…

Purpose: This study examined spontaneous, spoken-to-a-model, and two sung modes in speakers with Parkinson's disease (PD), speakers with cerebellar disease (CD), and healthy controls. Vocal performance was measured by intelligibility scores and listeners' perceptual ratings. Method: Participants included speakers with hypokinetic dysarthria…