LSVT LOUD®Treatment
LSVT LOUD the program trains people with PD to use their voice at a more normal loudness level while speaking at home, work, or in the community.
Named after a woman living with Parkinson’s disease (Lee Silverman Voice Treatment), LSVT LOUD is an effective speech treatment for people with PD and has recently shown promise for adults with speech issues arising from stroke or multiple sclerosis.
Key to the treatment is helping people “recalibrate” their perceptions so they know how loud or soft they sound to other people and can feel comfortable using a stronger voice at a normal loudness level.
Key Strategies of LSVT LOUD
LSVT LOUD is built on three key strategies to make the treatment as effective as possible:
TARGET
Vocal Loudness (Amplitude)
These strategies are consistent with the most effective, evidence-based strategies for learning and neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to change).
MODE
Intensive Dosage and High Effort
Intensive and high-effort treatment that encourages people to achieve more by always working harder (e.g., “louder, longer”). Sessions are delivered one-on-one and tailored to your individual communication goals.
CALIBRATION
Generalization
“Recalibrating” sensory feedback so people recognize their new, louder voices are within normal limits. This increases the likelihood that people with PD will feel comfortable with and use their louder voice at home, work and play.
How is it different?
Speech treatments for people with Parkinson’s disease are usually given at a low-intensity dosage (e.g., one or two sessions per week for some period of time).
LSVT-LOUD takes a very different approach, focusing on the singular target of increasing vocal loudness to normal levels and delivering the treatment in an intensive, high-effort manner.
Is it a proven treatment?
The treatment was developed by Dr. Lorraine Ramig and has been scientifically studied for over 25 years with support from the National Institute for Deafness and other Communication Disorders within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other funding organizations.
The extensive research support documenting the effectiveness of LSVT LOUD makes it unique among speech treatment approaches for people with PD.
What results can we expect?
Extensive research evidence has documented that people with PD that undergo the LSVT-LOUD program show improvements in loudness and more variation in pitch while speaking that are maintained for at least two years post-treatment.
Secondary improvements may include better articulation, changes in swallowing, improved facial expressions while talking and even speech-related brain changes.
Lindsey Ann Unger
Speech Language Pathologist
CEO/Owner - Converse With Confidence, Inc.
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