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Objective:To investigate the effect of Lee Silverman voice therapy (LSVT) on the speech and life quality of Chinese persons with Parkinson′s disease (PD).Methods:A total of 16 Chinese PD patients were enrolled and given standard LSVT for 4 weeks. Their acoustic data were analyzed using PRAAT software before and after the treatment. Their voice quality was evaluated using the Japanese GRBAS voice scale and their quality of life was quantified using the Voice Handicap Index (VHI) scale.Results:After 4 weeks of LSVT the patients′ average voice and life quality had improved significantly. The average maximum duration of sustained vowel phonation had increased significantly, as had the vowels′ mean loudness, reading and monologue delivery. The GRBAS grading indicated that hoarseness had decreased significantly. The average total voice handicap index had also decreased significantly.Conclusion:Lee Silverman therapy can significantly improve maximum phonation time and loudness of Chinese-speakers, which enhances sensory feedback. The quality of their speech and of their life also improve significantly. This technique is recommended for clinical application.
ABSTRACT
@#Objective To investigate the neural mechanisms of speech motor control in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) under different strategies of motor execution control.MethodsThe techniques of the psychoacoustic and event-related potentials (ERPs) based on the altered auditory feedback paradigm were used in the present study. Two groups, including 17 PD patients and 17 healthy controls, were instructed to produce sustained vowels under the internal and external cueing tasks while hearing their voice randomly pitch-shifted downwards. The vocal responses and associated ERPs were recorded and compared across the groups and tasks.ResultsBehavioral results showed that the amplitude of acoustic compensation response was larger in PD patients than in the healthy controls (F=5.415, P=0.027), however, the main effect was not significant in the tasks (F=0.039, P=0.840). At the cortical level, PD patients produced significantly larger N1 responses to pitch perturbations in the internal cueing task related to the external cueing task (F=8.634, P=0.006), while such task effect was not observed in the healthy controls (F=1.550, P=0.231). Also, PD patients produced significantly larger N1 responses than the healthy controls in the internal cueing condition (F=5.476, P=0.026), but not in the external cueing condition (F=0.249, P=0.621). Conclusion Speech motor control in PD can be influenced by the strategies of motor execution control. Compared to the internal cueing task, the external cueing task can increase neural efficiency in the encoding of speech auditory feedback PD patients that improve auditory-motor integration for speech production.
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BACKGROUND:Studies showed that platelet-rich plasma + bone transplantation for repair of bone defects not only can accelerate new bone formation, but also increase bone density. OBJECTIVE:To observe autologous platelet-rich plasma and autologous bone graft for treatment of comminuted fractures, and the efficacy. METHODS:This was a clinical prospective randomized controled study. A total of 42 patients with limb comminuted fracture and bone defects were enroled and randomly assigned to two groups. In the experimental group, 20 patients received treatment with autologous platelet-rich plasma and mixture of autologous ilium and cancelous bone. In the control group, 22 patients underwent plate, screw or intramedulary nail fixation. At 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery, X-ray examination was conducted. Healing conditions, healing speed and functional recovery were compared between the experimental and control groups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The time of bone healing was respectively 12 weeks in the experimental group and 18 weeks in the control group on average, showing significant differences. There were two cases of plate breakage, one case of nonunion reoperation, three cases of delayed fracture healing in the control group. No autologous blood transfusion or other complications appeared in the experimental group. Results suggested that autologous platelet-rich plasma and autologous bone graft for comminuted fractures can facilitate and accelerate bone healing.