title: Quantitative Measures of Swallowing Deficits in Patients With Parkinson's Disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Dysphagia and associated aspiration pneumonia are commonly reported sequelae of Parkinson's disease (PD). Previous studies of swallowing in patients with PD have described prolonged pharyngeal transit time, delayed onset of pharyngeal transit, cricopharyngeal (CP) achalasia, reduced pharyngeal constriction, and slowed hyolaryngeal elevation. These studies were completed using inconsistent evaluation methodology, reliance on qualitative analysis, and a lack of a large control group, resulting in concerns regarding diagnostic precision. The purpose of this study was to investigate swallowing function in patients with PD using a norm-referenced, quantitative approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study includes 34 patients with a diagnosis of PD referred to a multidisciplinary voice and swallowing clinic. Modified barium swallow studies were performed using quantitative measures of pharyngeal transit time, hyoid displacement, CP sphincter opening, area of the pharynx at maximal constriction, and timing of laryngeal vestibule closure relative to bolus arrival at the CP sphincter.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Reduced pharyngeal constriction was found in 30.4%, and a delay in airway closure relative to arrival of the bolus at the CP sphincter was the most common abnormality, present in 62% of patients. Previously reported findings of prolonged pharyngeal transit, poor hyoid elevation, and CP achalasia were not identified as prominent features.
authors.affiliation: Voice Disorders Center, University of Utah Healthcare, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
authors.forename: Julia K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Ellerston
authors.affiliation: Voice Disorders Center, University of Utah Healthcare, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
authors.forename: Amanda C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Heller
authors.affiliation: Voice Disorders Center, University of Utah Healthcare, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Houtz
authors.affiliation: Voice Disorders Center, University of Utah Healthcare, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Division of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA julia.ellerston@hsc.utah.edu.
authors.forename: Katherine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kendall
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology*; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010614:Pharynx / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014741:Video Recording
keywords: dysphagia; laryngology; motor speech disorders; neurological disorders; otolaryngology; swallowing; swallowing problems