Tongue Body Kinematics in Parkinson’s Disease: Effects of Levodopa and Deep Brain Stimulation

Parkinson’s Disease affects not only gross motor but also speech motor control. Standard treatment options are drug treatment with levodopa and surgical treatment with deep brain stimulation. While both treatments are effective for gross motor symptoms, it is yet to be fully understood how speech responds to levodopa and deep brain stimulation. This thesis investigates the effect of both treatment options on the kinematic, acoustic and perceptual level in the same group of speakers with Parkinson’s disease for a first time

Tabea Thies holds a PhD in Phonetics from the University of Cologne. She works at the interface of phonetics and neurology. Her research focuses on the acoustic and kinematic analysis of speech in individuals with movement disorders.