TITLE:
Singing Therapy Improving Peak Flow, Speech and Eating Abilities in Adults with Cerebral Palsy
AUTHORS:
Jessica Pingel, Christina T. Andersen, Peter Raffalt, Camilla Kowalczyk
KEYWORDS:
Singing, Cerebral Palsy, Pronunciation, Eating, Swallowing, Mealtime
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation,
Vol.10 No.4,
October
17,
2022
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) often suffer from speech
impairments and dysphagia due to impaired motor control of the tongue and lips. Aim: To investigate the effect of singing on peak flow, speech- and
swallowing abilities in individuals with CP. Method: Ten adults with CP
received one-to-one singing lessons by a professional singing teacher for one
hour twice a week for 6 months. Methods: The peak flow, swallowing-, speech-,
and eating abilities were investigated pre, and after 3 months and 6
months of singing. Results: The meal analysis revealed that an average
of eleven factors was improved after 6 months of
singing. Nine out of ten participants improved their pronunciation of the
letter “N” and seven participants improved their pronunciation of the letter
“G”. The singing lessons increased the peak flow significantly (p = 0.02; Pre =
246 ± 36, 3 months = 287 ± 34, and 6 months = 336 ±
48). Self-reported difficulties on a 1 - 10 scale reduced significantly for
both swallowing (p = 0.039) and speaking (p = 0.049). Conclusion: 6
months of singing lessons improve the peak flow, speech-, swallowing- and
eating abilities in adults with CP. The present study indicates that singing is
a very promising intervention for the treatment of speech and eating impairments
in individuals with CP.