PD COMM
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A multi-centre randomised controlled trial to compare the clinical and cost effectiveness of Lee Silverman Voice Treatment versus standard NHS speech and language therapy versus control in Parkinson’s disease (PD COMM)
IRAS ID
188505
Contact name
Sean Jennings
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Birmingham
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 4 months, 30 days
Research summary
Research Summary:
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common movement disorder, affecting approximately 120,000 people in the UK. Over two thirds of people with PD report having speech related problems which has a great impact on their lives, leading to increased physical and mental demands during conversation, reduced independence and social withdrawal.
Speech and language therapy (SLT) is advocated for people with PD but current provision is low, with a recent Parkinson’s UK survey reporting that just 37% of the patients included had received SLT. This may be attributed, in part, to the limited scientific evidence of a benefit of SLT for people with PD. Currently 2 different types of SLT are available in the UK: standard NHS SLT, typically consisting of 1 hour per week for 6 – 8 weeks and Lee Silverman Voice Training (LSVT), a more intensive therapy comprising of 4 sessions per week for 4 weeks. From the literature it is unclear if one or both of these treatments is effective or acceptable to people with PD, and if there is a benefit whether it continues once the treatments have stopped.
We propose a study in which LSVT, traditional NHS SLT and a no intervention control will be compared in people with PD. People with PD will be randomly assigned to one of the 3 groups and their communication effectiveness and quality of life will be compared before and after treatment (baseline and 3 months), and 6 and 12 months later to see if any benefit remains.Summary of Results:
In the PD COMM study, 388 Parkinson's disease participants with speech/voice problems were randomly assigned to three groups: 130 participants to the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment group (LSVT), 129 participants to the 'standard' NHS Speech and Language therapy (SLT) group and 129 participants to the no treatment group. Results from the study demonstrated that compared to the group which received no treatment, the group that received LSVT had significantly reduced speech/voice problems after 3 months. LSVT treatment was also significantly more effective than standard NHS SLT when the two groups were compared. Additionally, when the standard NHS SLT was compared to the no treatment group, standard NHS SLT treatment was no better than no treatment. At the end of the study, participants did not develop severe side effects from the treatments.REC name
West Midlands - Coventry & Warwickshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/WM/0443
Date of REC Opinion
7 Dec 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion