Bursary competition 2009

SM14 Communication skills in people with Parkinson’s Disease

Approximately 120,000 people have Parkinson’s Disease in the UK and about 10,000 people are diagnosed each year with one in 20 being under 40 years of age. Research relating to the communication impairments of people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) has focussed in the main on speech intelligibility and voice (in particular, loudness and pitch). There is also some evidence that people with PD present with language and pragmatic impairments; however to date these areas are largely understudied. It is also not clear when these additional impairments emerge or how they develop with the progression of the disease.

This study aims to investigate the nature of language and pragmatic impairments in people with Parkinson’s Disease at various stages of the disease. It will also explore possible correlations between these aspects of communication and other factors such as motor speech impairments, severity and progression of the disease, and the impact of other factors such as cognitive decline and depression on their communication skills.

Findings from this project will have relevance to those interested in working with people with Parkinson’s Disease and those developing effective interventions to improve and maintain communication skills and quality of life for this population.

For further information contact Dr Helen Kelly or Dr Janet Beck

For more about Speech Sciences research at QMU see SSRC

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