Keywords: Parkinson Disease; Cognition Disorders; Speech Disorders; Communication; Social Participation; International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health; Review, Systematic Introduction Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative condition that affects around 1.5% of people over 65 in Europe [1] with considerable worldwide variation in prevalence [2]. In light of the impact of PD on quality of life [3] and the global ageing population [4], PD should be considered a major healthcare challenge of the future. PD was originally characterised largely in terms of its motor features [5], which still form the basis of recognised diagnostic criteria [6-8]. However, research has revealed a wide range of non-motor symptoms [9] including cognitive impairment [10] in over a quarter of patients. Communication is fundamental to human interaction [11] and the development and maintenance of human relationships, including those developed in a healthcare context. Around 70% of people with PD report dissatisfaction with their everyday communication [12]. The International Classification of Functioning (ICF) [13] provides a useful framework for conceptualising the distinction between ‘speech’ difficulties at the impairment level and difficulties at the activity and ‘communication’ especially the participation level. Indeed, the extent of communicative difficulty at the ICF participation level may not be closely associated with severity of speech impairment at the ICF impairment level, such as intelligibility [12,14]. Other factors beyond speech impairment, such as cognitive status [15], may play an important role
Keywords: Parkinson Disease; Cognition Disorders; Speech Disorders; Communication; Social Participation; International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health; Review, Systematic Introduction Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative condition that affects around 1.5% of people over 65 in Europe [1] with considerable worldwide variation in prevalence [2]. In light of the impact of PD on quality of life [3] and the global ageing population [4], PD should be considered a major healthcare challenge of the future. PD was originally characterised largely in terms of its motor features [5], which still form the basis of recognised diagnostic criteria [6-8]. However, research has revealed a wide range of non-motor symptoms [9] including cognitive impairment [10] in over a quarter of patients. Communication is fundamental to human interaction [11] and the development and maintenance of human relationships, including those developed in a healthcare context. Around 70% of people with PD report dissatisfaction with their everyday communication [12]. The International Classification of Functioning (ICF) [13] provides a useful framework for conceptualising the distinction between ‘speech’ difficulties at the impairment level and ‘communication’ difficulties at the activity and especially the participation level. Indeed, the extent of communicative difficulty at the ICF participation level may not be closely associated with severity of speech impairment at the ICF impairment level, such as intelligibility [12,14]. Other factors beyond speech impairment, such as cognitive status [15], may play an important role