title: Impact of progression of Parkinson's disease on drooling in various ethnic groups.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Drooling or sialorrhea is a common non-motor symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD), and is reported by 35-75% of patients. Drooling is primarily due to impaired swallowing rather than hypersecretion of saliva. In this study, we examined the prevalence of drooling in PD and its relation to various factors such as age, stage of disease, gender and ethnicity.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective cohort chart analysis of 307 patients with idiopathic PD was conducted. These patients were seen in the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Clinic between 2005 and 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  123 (40%) patients exhibited drooling. No correlation between age and development of drooling was observed. However, gender was found to be a significant factor in developing sialorrhea. Males are twice as more likely to develop sialorrhea than females. In addition, drooling becomes more prevalent with disease progression; Hoehn and Yahr stage 4 patients being the most at risk. Ethnicity and immigration status have no relationship in developing drooling.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sialorrhea is seen in a significant number of PD patients. This study, to the best of our knowledge, is the most extensive clinical assessment of drooling in PD to date.
authors.affiliation: Parkinson's Clinic of Eastern Toronto and Movement Disorders Centre, Scarborough, Ont., Canada. ranaaq@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Abdul Qayyum
authors.initials: AQ
authors.lastname: Rana
authors.forename: Muhammad Saad
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Yousuf
authors.forename: Naeem
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Awan
authors.forename: Abdul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fattah
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000208:ethnology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D012798:Sialorrhea / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology*