Influence of Age on the Effectiveness of Lee Silverman Voice Treatment® BIG in Patients with Parkinson's Disease: A Retrospective Exploratory Observational Study.

Background/

Objectives

Advanced age in Parkinson's disease (PD) is linked to worse motor function, more severe symptoms, and impaired activities of daily living (ADLs). Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT)® BIG may be suitable for older patients, as it can be adapted to individual abilities. This study evaluated whether age affects the effectiveness of LSVT® BIG on gait speed, motor symptoms, ADLs, and quality of life (QoL) in PD.

Methods

In this retrospective, single-center cohort study, 22 patients with PD were divided into an older group (≥65 years; n = 16) and a younger group (<65 years; n = 6). All participants completed 16 one-hour, face-to-face LSVT® BIG sessions. Gait speed was assessed with the 10-m walk test; motor symptoms with Movement Disorders Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) Part III; ADLs with MDS-UPDRS Part II; and QoL with the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 Summary Index. Two-way mixed-design analysis of variance with aligned rank transformation was used for statistical analysis.

Results

Significant improvements were observed for all outcomes (gait speed, motor symptoms, ADLs, and QoL) after the intervention. A significant effect of age group was found for gait speed, with younger patients walking faster overall. No significant interaction between timepoint and group was observed for any measure.

Conclusions

LSVT® BIG appears to improve gait speed, motor symptoms, ADLs, and QoL in patients with PD, regardless of age, suggesting it is an effective intervention for both older and younger patients.