CAT Demonstration Grant Recipient Dr. Jessica Huber

Parkinson’s disease is defined by the National Parkinson Foundation as “a brain disorder that occurs when certain nerve cells in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra die or become impaired…When approximately 80% of the substantia nigra cells are damaged or die, the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease appear”. It “is estimated that 60,000 new cases [of Parkinson’s disease] are diagnosed each year, joining the 1.5 million Americans who currently have Parkinson’s disease. While the condition usually develops after the age of 65, 15% of those diagnosed are under 50” (National Parkinson Foundation).

Of those affected by Parkinson’s disease 89% have voice problems, which includes low loudness and their voice sounding breathy while speaking and 45% have articulation problems causing them to slur their words together. Patients with Parkinson’s disease experiencing voice problems speak quietly and have problems self cueing to use an appropriate loudness level. Currently the therapy with the most efficacy data demonstrating its ability to help with speech and articulation of a Parkinson’s patient is the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment Program which involves therapy for one hour a day, four days a week, for four weeks. This therapy teaches the patient to speak louder which includes making the mouth move more, using greater effort when speaking, and taking deeper breaths.

Dr. Huber has created a device that senses when you speak. While you are speaking, the device sends an audio signal to your ear that sounds like many people talking at one time. This audio cues the patient to speak louder, like a person would in a noisy restaurant. When the patient talks more loudly, their mouth moves more and they take deeper breaths. The device is currently undergoing testing. The device is worn for two to six hours a day, eight hours maximum for an eight week period during the testing period. Currently the device is being worn by ten different patients with the goal of having forty patients over the next two years.

The Center for Assistive Technology (C.A.T.) has given Dr. Huber a demonstration grant to apply towards her work with her device. The C.A.T. grant will be used to examine cost-ratio analysis, the impact of the device, and the marketability of the device. Some of the questions looked at will be: How can this device assist patients who live in rural locations and cannot receive Lee Silverman Voice Treatment Program therapy from a licensed speech pathologist? How do the patients feel while they are wearing the device? Dr. Huber has also received grants from NIH-NIDCD and Indiana CTSI (which is funded by NIH) for the development and assessment of the technology.

Article by Cody Mullen