Open Lines® and LSVT LOUD® in Saudi Arabia
In January 2025, Dr. Jessica Galgano—founder and CEO of Open Lines Speech and Communication—served as a lead instructor for an intensive LSVT LOUD® certification training at Alfaisal University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. She was honored to teach alongside Dr. Cynthia Fox, co-founder and CEO of LSVT Global. Together, they helped certify 50 speech-language pathologists in LSVT LOUD®, LSVT Global’s proprietary voice therapy. LSVT LOUD® is considered the gold standard for treating speech conditions related to Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions.
The training was hosted under the leadership of Dr. Yara Aljahlan of Alfaisal University and offered participants a dynamic learning experience. In addition to expert instruction from Dr. Galgano and Dr. Fox, attendees participated in hands-on treatment sessions with individuals living with Parkinson’s, applying evidence-based techniques in real-world settings.
We’re proud to share photos from this inspiring collaboration with LSVT Global and Alfaisal University—take a look!
College of Medicine at Alfaisal University: Pioneering Medical Education in Saudi Arabia
In the heart of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Alfaisal University’s College of Medicine stands as a beacon for excellence in healthcare education. Established in 2008, this institution has rapidly emerged as one of the region’s premier medical education centers, blending innovative teaching methodologies with rigorous scientific research.
Its curriculum combines foundational sciences with a strong focus on hands-on clinical training, made possible through an affiliation with King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre—one of the Middle East’s leading medical institutions. What distinguishes Alfaisal’s medical program is its international perspective. The College maintains strategic partnerships with prestigious institutions worldwide, including Harvard Medical School and the University of California, creating a globally informed educational environment. The faculty comprises distinguished medical professionals from over 30 countries, bringing diverse expertise to the classroom and laboratory.
Among these globally-recognized medical professionals is, Dr. Yara Aljahlan, PhD, CCC-SLP, EMBA. Dr. Yara Aljahlan serves as the Program Director of the Master of Clinical Speech-Language Pathology (MSP) program at Alfaisal University and is a Senior Speech-Language Pathologist at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre. She is an accomplished leader in the field of speech-language pathology and has played a pivotal role in achieving full accreditation for the MSP program from the Accreditation Agency in Health and Social Sciences (AHPGS), marking a significant milestone in advancing speech-language pathology education in the region. Her research, conducted in collaboration with the University of Connecticut, focuses on attentional shifting in children with developmental language disorders, contributing valuable insights to the field. As a co-founder of Bedaya Clinic, Dr. Aljahlan is committed to enhancing clinical services and fostering professional development within the speech-language pathology community.
LSVT LOUD: Transforming Voice and Communication for Parkinson’s Disease and Adults and Children with Neurologically based speech disorders
LSVT LOUD was conceived to help those with Parkinson’s disease (PD) improve voice and speech related symptoms. PD progressively affects the nervous system, with voice and speech changes emerging as significant but often overlooked symptoms. These communication difficulties can profoundly impact quality of life, social interactions, and emotional well-being for those living with PD. Among evidence-based interventions, the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT LOUD) stands as a pioneering therapeutic approach specifically designed to address these neurological communication challenges.
While originally developed to improve vocal loudness and speech clarity in individuals with Parkinson’s disease, LSVT LOUD® has demonstrated growing efficacy across a range of other neurological conditions affecting both adults and children. Research shows that the intensive, high-effort, and task-specific nature of the treatment helps recalibrate patients’ mismatched perceptions of their vocal intensity so they can better judge how their voice sounds to others and feel confident using a stronger, more appropriate vocal volume. As a result, individuals with neurological disorders such as atypical parkinsonism including Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), multiple sclerosis, stroke, and traumatic brain injury have also experienced meaningful improvements in vocal quality, speech intelligibility, and functional communication following the 4 week intensive treatment. These outcomes are attributed to the treatment’s ability to drive neuroplastic changes—helping the brain reorganize and strengthen the coordination among the subsystems of speech and motor pathways involved in voice and speech production.
The training Dr. Galgano and Dr Fox led at Alfaisal University additionally included specialized certification in LSVT LOUD for Kids. LSVT LOUD for KIDS brings the same principles of intensive voice therapy used with adults into a format tailored for children. Designed to be fun, interactive, and developmentally appropriate, this approach has shown effectiveness for children with neurologically based motor-speech disorders, including those living with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and pediatric dysarthrias. The program helps children become more easily understood by others, which supports better participation in social and academic settings. The use of repetition, motivation-based techniques, and age-specific goals makes LSVT LOUD for KIDS an efficacious science-backed option for pediatric speech therapy.
Neurological Mechanisms of Voice Changes in Parkinson’s
Voice and speech changes in Parkinson’s disease stem from complex neurological disruptions affecting multiple systems involved in speaking:
- Reduced dopamine production impacts motor coordination of speech muscles leading to hypokinesia and bradykinesia-or reduced amplitude and slower speed of movements
- Diminished sensory awareness prevents patients from recognizing their lowered voice volume
- Impaired basal ganglia function disrupts the automatic regulation of speech amplitude
- Progressive changes to laryngeal muscle control affects vocal quality and projection
These neurological changes manifest as hypophonia (soft voice), monotone speech, imprecise articulation, and reduced facial expressiveness—a constellation of symptoms that LSVT LOUD specifically targets through neuroplasticity principles.
The LSVT LOUD Therapeutic Framework
This intensive, evidence-based protocol operates through a neurologically-informed approach:
- Four 1hr sessions weekly over four consecutive weeks (16 total sessions)
- Focus on a single target—increasing vocal loudness—to address multiple speech system components. This increase in vocal amplitude does much more than train patients to be louder—it stimulates more intentional, stronger movements across the entire speech mechanism:
Improved Range of Motion of Articulators
- Increased vocal effort requires organs of articulation to move with stronger and more precise articulatory gestures leading to improved articulation and clearer speech.
Enhanced Voice Loudness and Quality
- Increased respiratory drive and vocal fold closure improve subglottal pressure and glottal efficiency.
- This results in:
- Louder voice
- Less breathy, more resonant tone
- More consistent vocal quality across speaking tasks
Improvements in Resonance
- Stronger respiratory and phonatory effort contributes to better velopharyngeal control (soft palate function).
- This helps reduce hypernasality and leads to more balanced oral-nasal resonance.
Increased Speech Intelligibility
- Improved loudness, articulation, and prosody result in greater clarity.
- Listeners are better able to understand speech, even in challenging environments.
- This leads to increased communicative participation and confidence.
- Intensive, high-effort exercises designed to recalibrate the patient’s internal perception of appropriate vocal effort
- Hierarchical progression from simple phonation to complex conversational speech
- Calibration of sensory feedback systems to maintain improvements in daily communication
Research demonstrates LSVT LOUD’s effectiveness in improving vocal intensity, speech intelligibility, and facial expressiveness, with benefits often extending beyond communication to include swallowing function and respiratory support.
Clinical Significance and Patient Outcomes
The therapeutic impact of LSVT LOUD extends beyond measurable speech parameters to meaningful quality-of-life improvements. Patients typically experience enhanced communicative confidence, reduced social isolation, and greater participation in daily activities. The program’s structured home practice components and maintenance strategies help sustain neurological recalibration and communication improvements over time.
For many individuals living with neurologically based voice and speech challenges, LSVT LOUD represents a transformative intervention addressing a critical but often undertreated aspect of neurological care—the fundamental human need for effective communication.
Have Questions or Want to Connect?
Whether you’re interested in our clinical services, educational programs, or future training opportunities, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at (212) 430-6800, email [email protected], or fill out our contact form.
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