Application of Altered Auditory Feedback Within the Framework of Motor Learning Guided Approach in People with Parkinson's Disease

Abstract

The current study assessed the speech intelligibility retention gains in 4 people with Parkinson's disease through the use of Delayed Auditory Feedback (DAF) and the motor learning guided approach (MLGA). In this single-case experimental design, two participants practiced 75 sentences using DAF and two participants practiced 15 sentences 5 times each using DAF + MLGA. Twenty semi-trained listeners rated the participant's productions using perceptual outcome measures of speech rate and intelligibility. All participants were able to make some progress toward improving their speech rate and intelligibility through use of this treatment, albeit all progress was not significant. Further research is needed to determine the extent of the effectiveness of DAF and MLGA treatments. The outcomes of this study are advance our knowledge on the theoretical as well as practical underpinnings of structured motor learning.