Communicative participation in Parkinson’s Disease: An SLP’s glimpse into associations with variables from a tandem cycling exercise program

Abstract

Purpose: 1) Examine communicative participation and other speech-related variables as secondary outcomes of a community-based exercise program for people with Parkinson's disease, 2) Examine characteristics of participant groups based on their CPIB scores, 3) Examine stability of CPIB over time. Method: Analyzed participant outcomes from tandem cycling study. Data included responses to the CPIB; physical outcome measures such as gait speed, Timed up and Go, and Five Time Sit to Stand; and self-report data relating to activities of daily living, Parkinson’s severity, depression, and cognition. Results: Better communicative participation was associated with less difficulty with speech, tremor, quality of life, and overall functioning in activities of daily living. Participants with lower CPIB scores appeared to differ in specific variables from those with High CPIB scores on gender, ADL difficulty, and QOL, and many self-report variables. There was no significant difference between CPIB scores pre to post intervention. Conclusions: Communicative participation is complex and influenced by many variables. CPIB scores were stable over time at the group level, but individual changes were seen suggesting the need for assessment of communicative participation on a person-by-person basis.