title: Technology-aided leisure and communication: Opportunities for persons with advanced Parkinson's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated whether simple technology-aided programs could be used to promote leisure and communication engagement in three persons with advanced Parkinson's disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  The programs included music and video options, which were combined with (a) text messaging and telephone calls for the first participant, (b) verbal statements/requests, text messaging, and reading for the second participant, and (c) verbal statements/requests and prayers for the third participant. The participants could activate those options via hand movement or vocal emission and specific microswitches.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All three participants were successful in activating the options available. The mean cumulative frequencies of option activations were about five per 15-min session for the first two participants and about four per 10-min session for the third participant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results were considered encouraging and relevant given the limited amount of evidence available on helping persons with advanced Parkinson's disease with leisure and communication.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neuroscience and Sense Organs , University of Bari , Bari , Italy.
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lancioni
authors.affiliation: b Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University , Augusta , GA , USA.
authors.forename: Nirbhay
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: c Department of Special Education , University of Texas at Austin , Austin , TX , USA.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: O'Reilly
authors.affiliation: d Department of Educational Psychology , Victoria University of Wellington , Wellington , New Zealand.
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sigafoos
authors.affiliation: e S. Raffaele Medical Care Center , Alberobello , Italy.
authors.forename: Fiora
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: D'Amico
authors.affiliation: e S. Raffaele Medical Care Center , Alberobello , Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sasanelli
authors.affiliation: f ISPE Medical Care Center , Mola di Bari , Italy , and.
authors.forename: Floriana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Denitto
authors.affiliation: g Department of Curriculum Instruction , Texas State University , San Marcos , TX , USA.
authors.forename: Russell
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003142:Communication; D003143:Communication Devices for People with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009146:Music; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D060145:Text Messaging
keywords: Communication; Parkinson’s disease; leisure engagement; technology-aided programs