Impairments in breathing and voice are substantial hurdles (in PD)that cause a significant drop in the quality of life.Okay, the time has come to expose my voice to the world. Somebody told me I have the voice of a little bird - a flipping parrot!!!Voice impairments impact 60-80% of Parkinson's patients. Their voice can become monotone and display less variety in volume; there may also be a reduced vocal intensity and pitch, and a harsh, breathy voice.
Standard Parkinson's treatments do not target these aspects with the same level of success as the motor symptoms. Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus, which relieves many of Parkinson's classic symptoms, can, in fact, make voice alterations worse.
....(a study at Ohio State Universiy) consisted of 27 Parkinson's patients who attended group singing sessions either once or twice a week. Before and after the 8-week trial, swallowing measures and voice measures, such as the patient's vocal range and how long they could hold a note, were recorded.
Therapy sessions involved vocal exercises, followed by renditions of popular songs, including "You Are My Sunshine" and "Show Me The Way To Go Home."
The researchers found that, after 2 months of singing, there were significant improvements in pitch duration, vocal loudness and swallow control.
( taken from "Medical New Today article: Singing improves Parkinson's symptoms and Quality of Life by Tim Newman 4/18/15)
Only 3 hours before showtime. Am I nervous? Not a chance. They have been forewarned.
BTW, I will be signing autographs following the session.
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