Page 35 - NAMAH-Oct-2020

Music Therapy-induced speech and communication in older adults

Aradhana Deogharia

Abstract
This research article investigates the effects of vocal exercises and singing on intelligibility and
speech naturalness for subjects with acquired dysarthria due to Parkinson’s, traumatic brain
injury, stroke, and neuro-degenerative diseases. A multiple case-study design was used, involving
pre, mid, and post-treatment assessments of intelligibility, rate, and naturalness, on four subjects
with dysarthria. Each subject participated in 60 weekly group music therapy sessions, involving
Rhythmic Speech Cueing, and therapeutic singing techniques of neurological music therapy in
combination with the traditional music of India which is based on Indian classical raagas.

more than 50 weekly sessions on ‘metric cueing’
of vocal exercises and singing, which may
faciitate more normative speech production for
people with acquired dysarthria and support
the need for further research in this area.

Definition

Dysarthria refers to a group of motor-speech
impairments that result from damage to the
neurological areas that control the muscles
Results were measured using a standardised used for speech. Due to the underlying
dysarthric speech assessment — the Sentence damage, the muscles of the tongue, lips
Intelligibility Test and ratings of speech natural- and face do not respond in the normal way,
ness. Statistically significant improvements in and speech often becomes quiet, slurred, or
functional speech intelligibility were achieved unintelligible. These muscular deficits can
with improvements in the rate of speech. The affect the range, timing, speed, and steadiness
findings and conclusion of the research suggest of oral movement coordination.
that the music therapist designed a well-
strutured music therapy programme with According to the American Speech-Language-

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