Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

Original Article

Dysphagia in Parkinson's disease

Shinobu Hisashi1)6), Ryoko Fukumitsu2), Mitsuyo Ishida, Ph.D.3), Atsuko Nodera, M.D.2), Takahiro Otani1), Takahiro Maruoka4), Kazumi Nakamura5), Yuishin Izumi, M.D.5), Ryuji Kaji, M.D.5) and Yoshihiko Nishida, M.D.2)

1)Department of Rehabilitation, Itsuki Hospital
2)Department of Neurology, Itsuki Hospital
3)Department of Medical Informatics, Itsuki Hospital
4)Department of Radiology, Itsuki Hospital
5)Department of Neurology, Tokushima University
6)Present address: Department of Rehabilitation, National Hospital Organization Omuta Hospital

Although dysphagia is an important symptom associated with prognosis in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), dysphagia tends to be overlooked until swallowing difficulties reach an advanced phase. We assessed dysphagia with videofluoroscopic examination of swallowing in 31 patients with mainly mild or moderate PD. Swallowing problems were observed in the pharyngeal phase in 28 patients, oral phase in 19 patients, esophageal phase in 15 patients, and oral preparatory phase in 1 patient. Therefore, dysphagia in the pharyngeal phase was observed in almost all patients with mild or moderate PD. In contrast, no dysfunction was detected in most patients when screening was conducted via questionnaire or other methods. Assessment of clinical parameters in the present study suggests that latent swallowing dysfunction may be present even in the early disease stage in PD. A future prospective study to follow swallowing functions in a pre-symptomatic phase in PD would be fruitful to find whether swallowing dysfunction is one of the prodromal symptoms.
Full Text of this Article in Japanese PDF (429K)

(CLINICA NEUROL, 56: 550|554, 2016)
key words: Parkinson's disease, dysphagia, videofluoroscopic examination of swallowing, screening test for swallowing

(Received: 29-Jan-16)