Lorraine A. Ramig, Ph.D., CCC-SLP: Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder of LSVT Global
What do you do?
Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of LSVT Global is a dream job for me!
Given that I have been the principal investigator (PI) on National Institutes of Health-National Institutes of Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIH-NIDCD) grants for over 25 years with millions of dollars of funding to develop and study LSVT LOUD, I am living my passion!!
A ‘claim to fame’ of LSVT Global is the rich efficacy data supporting our treatments. These data give clinicians and patients confidence that they can trust the outcomes following treatment and it gives referral sources (e.g., MDs, Rehab Professionals) evidence of the impact of LSVT on their patients.
We are particularly proud of the five published Randomized Control Trials (RCTs) supporting the short and long-term evidence for treatment efficacy for LSVT LOUD. RCTs are considered the ‘gold standard of evidence’ for a treatment in the medical community. LSVT LOUD is the first and only speech treatment for Parkinson’s Disease (PD) with published RCT data.
How long have you been with LSVT Global?
I am proud to say that I have been part of LSVT since 1987, when I treated Mrs. Lee Silverman and launched the invention of LSVT LOUD, which today globally is considered the ‘gold standard’ of speech treatment for Parkinson’s disease.
What is your favorite part of your job?
I love developing and managing research to evaluate the impact of LSVT on lives of patients and I love teaching the LSVT LOUD Courses to clinicians all around the world. But what I love most is reflecting on all we have accomplished as a team over the years since I met Mrs. Silverman. Our spectacular team has advanced quality of life for patients globally!!!
Tell us a little about yourself:
I grew up on the shores of Lake Superior “by the shores of Gitche Gumee” in Northern Wisconsin. During the winter, I would ice skate outside in 30 degree below zero weather and in the summer, I would fish for Rainbow Trout on the Brule River, using night crawlers I had caught in my backyard. I went to high school and my first two years of college in Superior.
I then finished my undergrad at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh where I met a professor who taught me academic rapture, as I learned the laryngeal muscles!!
That rapture stood the test of time as I received my Master’s degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and my doctorate from Purdue University. I spent my academic career at the University of Colorado-Boulder. I was a senior scientist at the National Center for Voice and Speech in Denver, CO and today continue as an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University in NYC. My research in geriatric and neurological disorders has been funded by the National Institute of Health for more than 20 years. Among many other awards and honors, I am very proud to have received “Honors” the highest level of recognition from the American Speech Language-Hearing Association, Honors of the Association.
Below are some of my favorite people in the world:
-
- Lori & husband Ken Tagawa, NYC
-
- Best Grandbabies, Hannah (10), Owen (8), Colorado
-
- Daughter Caroline, Healthcare marketing, Colorado
-
- Son Alex & Lauren, Corporate Lawyers, Manhattan
-
- Son Kai & Helen, Computer Scientists, Seattle
-
- Best Aussie ever, Manhattan
Summary of the Global Impact of LSVT LOUD
Dr. Robert Sataloff, Executive director of the Voice Foundation, summarized the global impact of LSVT LOUD when awarding me the Sundberg-Titze Award in June, 2022. Summary of LSVT LOUD Global Impact
The origins of LSVT LOUD and the key players, including the original LSVT LOUD clinicians are presented here in my video acceptance speech (2 minutes). Lori’s Acceptance Speech
Lori’s Awards: I am so grateful for all of these awards that recognize advanced awareness of successful treatment of speech disorders in PD!
- Sundberg-Titze Award, 2022
- World Parkinson Coalition Award, 2019
- Twelfth Annual Pentax Lecture, ASHA, 2016
- Honors of the Association; American Speech Language Hearing Association. “Highest Honor of the Profession”, 2010
- Distinguished Alumni; Purdue University College of Liberal Arts, 2009
- Fellow; American Speech Language Hearing Association, 1998
- Honors of the Association; Colorado Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 1994
- Postdoctoral Research Award; American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation and Psi Iota Xi, 1982
Highlights of LSVT
LSVT has made a significant impact on the rehabilitation world of Parkinson’s disease in a number of ways, we have highlighted some of them here!
1. Nearly 90% of the 6 million individuals with PD have a speech or voice disorder which can limit quality of life. LSVT LOUD is the first treatment to establish short and long-term efficacy of speech treatment for PD.
Comparison of Two Forms of Intensive Speech Treatment for Parkinson Disease
Intensive voice treatment (LSVT) for patients with Parkinson’s disease: a 2 year follow up
Speech treatment in Parkinson’s disease: Randomized control trial (RCT)
2. We have learned that that training increasing loudness changes speech production across the entire speech mechanism as shown here in our published papers.
3. LSVT LOUD can be delivered efficaciously by telepractice and software
4. Principles of LSVT LOUD can be generalized to physical and occupational therapy and are being delivered by over 29,000 clinicians in 55 countries using LSVT BIG.
Comparing exercise in Parkinson’s disease – the Berlin BIG Study
5. LSVT Programs have been implemented globally and positive outcomes have been published in 10 languages
6. LSVT New Horizons!!
We continue to have ongoing studies on the application of LSVT LOUD and LSVT BIG to disorders beyond PD.
Long-term follow up: Studies on LSVT continue to be published and post graduate classes LOUD for LIFE® and BIG for LIFE® are quickly growing around the world!
