Oropharyngeal Swallowing Disorders in Parkinson’s Disease: Revisited

Abstract

Swallowing impairments in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) affect patients’ nutritional status, the oral administration of medication, and of course quality-of-life, even in the earlier stages of the disease. Here, we provide a synopsis of the current state of neurological diagnosis and the clinical value of the assessment for nutritional status and swallowing impairments in patients with PD. The recent position statement by European Society for Swallowing Disorders (ESSD) on the clinical assessment of dysphagic PD patients is also reviewed and discussed. Here, we also attempt to summarize and explain the recent findings from neurophysiological studies attempting to underpin the underlying mechanisms of the disease, preceding a short review of the therapeutic approaches. With this review, we aim to increase awareness for the deliberating consequences of swallowing impairments and provide a range of unanswered questions on different levels (physiological, neurophysiological, assessment and therapeutic procedures). Further investigations and collaborative large-scale research studies together with neurophysiological studies seem to be warranted in order to shape more effective clinical practice in the future.