Speech profile in patients with Huntington's Disease: cognitive, clinical, and sociodemographic correlations.

Purpose: To describe speech profiles in individuals with Huntington's Disease (HD), correlate them with cognitive and clinical aspects, and compare them with healthy controls.

Methods: Symptomatic individuals with a clinical and molecular diagnosis of HD were included. Seven healthy controls, matched by age and sex, were also included.

"Does speech in patients with different Parkinson's disease subtypes decline over time?".

Purpose: This study investigates whether speech changes over time in patients with different motor subtypes of Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: This longitudinal study included 60 individuals with PD, classified into tremor-dominant (n = 42) and non-tremor-dominant (n = 18) subtypes according to the Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale. Participants were assessed at three points: baseline, 12 months, and 24 months.

Speech subtypes are associated with worsened tremor and axial symptoms in Parkinson's disease patients.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a heterogeneous disorder, suggesting the presence of distinct subtypes. Speech data, though easy to collect, remains underutilized in subtyping PD.

Methods: Cross-sectional study with PD patients recruited from the Movement Disorders Outpatient Clinic of the Neurology Service at the University Hospital in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Speech Characteristics Across Motor Subtypes of Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Speech differences may occur between motor subtypes of Parkinson's disease (PD), but the literature remains limited.

Aims: Examine speech characteristics in individuals with PD across the tremor-dominant, nontremor-dominant and mixed subtypes comparing to healthy controls.

Methods And Procedures: A total of 115 individuals with PD were included in the study, classified as tremor-dominant (n = 61), nontremor-dominant (n = 39) and mixed (n = 15) subtypes according to the Movement Disorder Society - Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale.

Did the speech of patients with Myasthenia Gravis decline over 4 years?

Purpose: To compare the speech and voice patterns of myasthenia gravis (MG) patients over four years, and correlate the results with clinical aspects of the disease.

Methods: Data was collected for 4 years. The clinical assessment tools included the Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis (QMG) score, the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) clinical classification, and the Myasthenia Gravis Quality of Life 15-item Scale (MG-QoL).

Floor and ceiling effects on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in patients with Parkinson's disease in Brazil.

Unlabelled: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease associated with cognitive impairment. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) has been used as a recommended global cognition scale for patients with PD, but there are some concerns about its application, partially due to the floor and ceiling effects.

Objective: To explore the floor and ceiling effects on the MoCA in patients with PD in Brazil.

Caregiver burden related to feeding process in Alzheimer's disease.

Unlabelled: Difficulties in the feeding process, such as aversive feeding behaviors and dysphagia, are common in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and can often overload their caregivers. Although dysphagia is already established as a factor contributing to caregiver burden, the impact of aversive behaviors is less studied.

Objectives: Evaluate the relationship between the feeding process in individuals with AD and their caregiver's burden.

Articulatory speech measures can be related to the severity of multiple sclerosis.

Background: Dysarthria is one of the most frequent communication disorders in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), with an estimated prevalence of around 50%. However, it is unclear if there is a relationship between dysarthria and the severity or duration of the disease.

Objective: Describe the speech pattern in MS, correlate with clinical data, and compare with controls.

Dysarthria in hereditary spastic paraplegia type 4.

Objective: To describe the speech pattern of patients with hereditary Spastic Paraplegia type 4 (SPG4) and correlated it with their clinical data.

Methods: Cross-sectional study was carried out in two university hospitals in Brazil. Two groups participated in the study: the case group (n = 28) with a confirmed genetic diagnosis for SPG4 and a control group (n = 17) matched for sex and age.

Factors associated with frailty in patients with neurodegenerative diseases.

Purpose: To identify the factors associated with frailty in patients with neurodegenerative diseases.

Methods: Cross-sectional study, whose sample consisted of 150 patients diagnosed with neurodegenerative diseases seen at a speech-language therapy clinic in a reference hospital in southern Brazil. A secondary exploratory analysis of the medical records of patients treated at this clinic between April 2016 and May 2019 was performed.

Cognitive profile of patients with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.

Unlabelled: Although it is predominantly a muscular disease, impairments in the central nervous system in patients with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) have been described in the literature.

Objective: To describe the cognitive profile of patients with FSHD and to correlate the impairments found with clinical variables and quality of life.

Methods: Cross-sectional and case-control study that evaluated FSHD patients using a series of cognitive assessments (Mini-Mental State Examination - MMSE, Montreal Cognitive Assessment - MoCA, verbal fluency with phonological restriction - FAS, categorical verbal fluency - FAS-cat, trail-making test - TMT, and Rey's Verbal Auditory Learning Test); a neurological severity scale (Gardner-Medwin-Walton - GMWS); and a quality of life measurement tool (Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey).

Speech and swallowing characteristics in patients with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.

Background: Although facial muscle weakness is common in patients with Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD), the literature is scarce on the speech and swallowing aspects.

Objective: To investigate speech and swallowing patterns in FSHD and assess the correlation with clinical data.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted.

Speech characteristics in individuals with myasthenia gravis: a case control study.

Introduction: Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease. The characteristic symptoms of the disease are muscle weakness and fatigue. These symptoms affect de oral muscles causing dysarthria, affecting about 60% of patients with disease progression.

Cognitive performance in patients with Myasthenia Gravis: an association with glucocorticosteroid use and depression.

We investigated the cognitive performance of patients with Myasthenia Gravis (MG) through a cross-sectional study. A battery of cognitive assessments and self-report questionnaires regarding quality of life (QoL), sleep, and depression were applied. The sample consisted of 39 patients diagnosed with MG.

Prevalence of oropharyngeal dysphagia in hereditary spastic paraplegias.

Objectives: Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSP) are a group of genetic diseases characterized by lower limb spasticity with or without additional neurological features. Swallowing dysfunction is poorly studied in HSP and its presence can lead to significant respiratory and nutritional complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and clinical characteristics of dysphagia in different types of HSP.

Validation of Content and Reliability of the Protocol for the Evaluation of Acquired Speech Disorders in Individuals with Parkinson's Disease (PADAF).

Purpose: To develop a protocol for the evaluation of acquired speech disorders in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PADAF) and to validate its content and determine its inter-judge reliability.

Methods: The study was carried out in three stages: in the first one, the protocol was prepared and its content validated through the analysis of seven specialists; in the second, the instrument was applied to 25 individuals with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD); in the third and last stage, the inter-judge reliability was determined.

Results: The final version of PADAF consisted of 32 items that evaluated breathing, phonation, resonance, articulation, and prosody.

Are Cognitive Changes in Hereditary Spastic Paraplegias Restricted to Complicated Forms?

Little is known about the cognitive profile of Hereditary Spastic Paraplegias (HSP), where most scientific attention has been given to motor features related to corticospinal tract degeneration. We aimed to perform a broad characterization of the cognitive functions of patients with pure and complicated HSP as well as to determine the frequency of abnormal cognitive performances in the studied subtypes. A two-center cross-sectional case-control study was performed.

Different outcomes of phonemic verbal fluency in Parkinson's disease patients with subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation.

Subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) is a surgical technique to treat motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Studies have shown that STN-DBS may cause a decline in verbal fluency performance. We aimed to verify the effects of STN-DBS on the performance of phonemic verbal fluency in Brazilian PD patients.

Benefit from the Chin-Down Maneuver in the Swallowing Performance and Self-Perception of Parkinson's Disease Patients.

. To verify the effectiveness of the maneuver application in swallowing therapy with PD. .

Tinnitus in Elderly Individuals: Discomfort and Impact in the Quality of Life.

 Tinnitus is a symptom that affects mainly the elderly and can negatively influence their quality of life.  The objective of our study is to evaluate the existence of a relationship between the quality of life and the impact caused by tinnitus in elderly individuals, considering the age and gender variables.  We conducted a cross-sectional study in elderly people of both genders who participate in the extension activities at the university.

The impact of cognitive performance on quality of life in individuals with Parkinson's disease.

Background: Evidence points to the occurrence of cognitive impairment in all stages of PD, constituting a frequent and debilitating symptom, due to high impact on quality of life and mortality of patients.

Objective: To correlate cognitive performance with quality of life in PD.

Methods: The sample was drawn from a Movement Disorders Clinic of a reference hospital in Porto Alegre.

Aspects of oral communication in patients with Parkinson's disease submitted to Deep Brain Stimulation.

Introduction: Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) has been satisfactorily used to control the cardinal motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD), but little is known about its impact on communication.

Purpose: This study aimed to characterize the aspects of cognition, language, speech, voice, and self-perception in two patients with PD, pre- and post- DBS implant surgery.

Methods: The patients were assessed using a cognitive screening test, a brief language evaluation, a self-declared protocol, and an analysis of the aspects of voice and speech, which was conducted by a specialized Speech-language Therapist who was blinded for the study.

The Impact of Dysphagia Therapy on Quality of Life in Patients with Parkinson's Disease as Measured by the Swallowing Quality of Life Questionnaire (SWALQOL).

Introduction: Dysphagia is a common symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD) and it has been associated with poor quality of life (QoL), anxiety, depression.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of life in individuals with PD before and after SLP therapy.

Methods: The program consisted of four individual therapy sessions.