An Analysis of Dysfluencies Produced by Individuals with Parkinson's Disease

This study aimed at analyzing disfluencies in Parkinson's disease (PD), verifying interference of levodopa in this prosodic parameter, from readings at different rates (normal, slow & fast). Ten individuals with PD (Experimental Group - EG) were recorded when reading a passage from EUROM1 & ten individuals who did not have PD (control group - CG). Recordings of the group with PD were carried out in two moments: experimental group which was not under medicine effect (EG off) & experimental group under the medicine effect (EG on). The data were acoustically analyzed on Praat 4.4.27. The occurrence of disfluencies was greater in EG off, so that it is possible for us to verify that PD disturbs efficient communication & this disability is attenuated by taking levodopa, which does not lead to a performance as good as of CG. Adapted from the source document