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“The 1990s were really the decade of the brain in the field of neuroscience, and our understanding of activity-dependent neuroplasticity, brains can change in response to activity, even in people with neurological disorders like PD. As that literature began to come out, the interest in understanding the impact of exercise, physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapies exploded.”
Parkinson disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder that presents both motor and nonmotor symptoms. For the nonmotor features, speech and language impairments may be highly prevalent and can often appear before noticeable motor deficits, offering potential opportunities for earlier identification. In a recently published review, researchers summarized current research on the role of speech and language symptoms in detecting PD and monitoring its progression. Findings indicated that specific speech characteristics, detectable even across different languages using advanced analytical methods, could hold promise for identifying early or prodromal stages of the disease.1
In another previously published review, researchers looked at the evidence for targeted training of voice and swallowing deficits in patients with PD. Across 19 studies on voice and 1 on swallowing, investigators reported that targeted training could lead to lasting improvements in voice and that training of related sensorimotor actions may provide some benefit to voice and swallowing.2 In a separate meta-analysis addressing motor symptoms, different exercise programs improved the quality of life in patients with PD, with Qigong showing the most benefit over other forms of exercise.3 Overall, these studies suggested that both voice and movement interventions can improve motor and nonmotor symptoms in patients living with the movement disorder.
Speech language pathologist Cynthia Fox, PhD, CCC-SLP, CEO and co-founder of LSVT Global, recently reviewed the efficacy of evidenced-based speech and physical therapies for movement disorders at the 4th Annual Advanced Therapeutics in Movement and Related Disorders (ATMRD) Congress, held by the PMD Alliance from June 27-30, 2025.3 During the Congress, Fox sat down with NeurologyLive® to highlight how clinical perspectives on the management of PD have shifted over the past 30 years regarding voice and movement. Specifically, Fox underscored that early referrals for speech, physical, and occupational therapies, alongside access to community-based exercise programs, could significantly improve outcomes for patients with PD.
Click here for more coverage of ATMRD 2025.