Use Of A Tongue Strength Training Device And Its Relationship With Speech In Patients With Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's Disease affects the brain and causes several movement problems. These problems include stiff muscles, slow movements, shaking when resting, and trouble keeping balance. As the disease gets worse, it can also affect how people speak. Doctors and therapists have found better ways to test how Parkinson's affects speech. There's one special therapy method that's considered the best for helping people with Parkinson's speak better. Now, they're also using a new tool called IOPI (Iowa Oral Performance Instrument) to help test and treat speech problems. This research project wants to see if using IOPI can help people with Parkinson's speak better. Here's how they'll do it: First, they'll split people with Parkinson's into two groups randomly. Everyone will take speech tests, like: Holding an "a" sound as long as they can; Saying "pataka" repeatedly; Counting from 1 to 15; Reading sentences; Speaking freely about a topic; They'll also measure how strong their tongue is using IOPI. Then, one group will get therapy using the IOPI tool, while the other group won't. After the therapy is done, they'll test everyone again to see if the IOPI therapy helped improve their speech. The researchers hope this study will show that IOPI is a helpful new tool for speech therapy, giving therapists more ways to help people with Parkinson's speak better.