Allyson Page, PhD

Education

  • PhD (Western University)
  • MSc (Western University)
  • BSc Honors (Queen's University)

Graduate Program Supervision

  • Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Speech and Language Science MSc | PhD

Research In Profile

Professor Allyson Page has focused her academic career on the study of disordered speech production and communicative participation in adults with degenerative neurological diseases, especially from the perspective of comprehensive outcomes. The conceptual framework of the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) serves to inform the theoretical underpinning of her research. Her research focuses on dysarthria, a motor speech disorder. Dysarthria is a neurological speech movement disorder that can produce abnormalities in speech production. The majority of her research concentrates on two dysarthrias: 1) the dysarthria associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD) (hypokinetic dysarthria), and; 2) the dysarthria associated with oromandibular dystonia (OMD) (hyperkinetic dysarthria). Her program of research focuses on these clinical populations because hypokinetic dysarthria associated with PD is one of the most common types of adult-onset dysarthria, and the hyperkinetic dysarthria associated with OMD is under-investigated and represents a theoretically important group in our understanding of speech production.

Professor Page’s research centers on studying dysarthric speech production from a multidimensional perspective. The ICF provides a framework for the description of an individual’s health and health-related components of well-being. Within the ICF, the three constructs titled ‘body functions and structures’, ‘activity’ and ‘participation’ describe functioning from the perspective of the body, the individual, and the individual in a social context, respectively. The ICF framework provides a theoretical perspective/framework from which to make explanations of how disabilities can arise from societal phenomena rather than from just being a disease or a disorder. Accordingly, the ICF conceptual framework facilitates an understanding for clinicians and researchers regarding the complex nature of dysarthric speech production. The framework provides unique opportunities to study dysarthria from a broader perspective. For example, her research contributes to the understanding of speech intelligibility from multiple perspectives that range from acoustic and perceptual phenomenon to the impact of reduced intelligibility on communicative participation. As a result, she has been able to study each aspect separately as well as relationships among these aspects. The rationale for adopting the conceptual framework of the ICF to study dysarthria is based on the concept that dysarthric speech is multifaceted and its study requires a broad and a holistic approach.

Featured Publications and Projects

Articles in Peer-Reviewed Journals

  • Page, A.D., Schroeder, J.R., Knowles, T., Jog, M., & Adams, S.G. (2023). A Comparison of Voice Amplifiers and Personal Communication Systems for Hypophonia: An Exploration of Communicative Participation. American journal of speech-language pathology, 1–16. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1044/2023_AJSLP-22-00161
  • Page, A.D. & Yorkston, K.M. (2022). Communicative participation in Dysarthria: Perspectives for Management. Brain Sciences, 12(4), 420-432. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12040420 
    Page, A.D.
    , Elhayek, N.,Baylor, C., Adams, S., Jog, M. & Yorkston, K.M. (2021). The psychosocial impacts of BoNT injections for individuals with OMD: A qualitative study of patients’ experiences. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 30(3S), 1314-1328.
  • Wilson, C., Page, A.D., & Adams, S.G. (2020). Listener ratings of effort, speech intelligibility, and loudness of individuals with PD and hypophonia. Canadian Journal of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, 44(2), 33-48.
  • Domingo, Y., Page, A.D., Adams, S.G, & Jog, M. (2019). Examining the speech intelligibility of individuals with oromandibular dystonia receiving botulinum toxin: a series of cases. Canadian Journal of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, 43(3), 153-165.
  • Page, A.D., Siegel, L. & Jog, M. (2017). Self-rated communication-related quality of life of individuals with oromandibular dystonia receiving botulinum toxin injections. American Journal of Speech- Language Pathology, 26, 674-681.
  • Page, A.D. & Siegel, L. (2017). Perspectives on the Psychosocial Management of Oromandibular Dystonia. Seminars in Speech and Language, 38(3), 173-183. (Invited article)
  • Dykstra, A.D. (Page), Domingo, Y., Adams, S.G. & Jog, M. (2016). Examining speech intelligibility and self-ratingsof communicative effectiveness in speakers with oromandibular dystonia receiving botulinum toxin therapy. Canadian Journal of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, 39(4), 334-345.

Visit Google Scholar for a comprehensive list of publications.

Featured Graduate Student Projects

Exploring the Temporal Variability of Speech Intensity, Speech Intelligibility, and Communicative Participation in Individuals with Hypophonia and Parkinson’s Disease.

  • Mancinelli, Cynthia (2019). MClSc/PhD combined degree in Communication Sciences & Disorders and, Health & Rehabilitation Sciences (Speech and Language Science field).

A comparison of voice amplifiers and personal communication systems in individuals with hypophonia: an exploration of communicative participation.

  • Schroeder, Jessi-Rae (2022). MSc in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Speech and Language Science field).

Exploring The Psychosocial Impact Of Botulinum Toxin Type-A Injections For Individuals With Oromandibular Dystonia: A Qualitative Study Of Patients' Experiences.

  • Elhayek, Nada (2019). MSc in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Speech and Language Science field).

The Consequences of Oromandibular Dystonia on Communicative Participation: A Qualitative Study of the Insider's Experiences.

  • Siegel, Lauren (2016). MSc in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Speech and Language Science field).

The effect of botulinum toxin type A on speech intelligibility in oromandibular dystonia.

  • Domingo, Ysabel (2014).MSc in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Speech and Language Science field), Faculty of Health Sciences.

Visit Scholarship@Western for a list of completed student theses and dissertations in the repository.

Additional Information

Academic Appointments and Research Affiliations

  • Director, Communicative Participation Lab
  • Movement Disorders Clinic, Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, London Health Sciences Centre

Awards

  • Western University, Faculty of Health Sciences – Recognition of Excellence: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
  • Western University, Faculty of Health Sciences – Top 10% Departmental Ranking – Recognition of Excellence for Teaching: 2014-15