Article

Many people with Parkinson's disease (PD) experience dysphagia; however, the
prevalence of dysphagia in people with PD is unknown. We studied a prevalent
population of PD cases. All of those who consented to participate were assessed
for anxiety, depression, cognitive function, and quality of life using standard
rating scales. Anyone who answered "yes" to either one of the two questions: Do
you have difficulty swallowing food/liquid or tablets? and Do you cough after
eating/drinking? was considered to have dysphagia. Question 7 of the Unified
Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) was also used to identify dysphagia. Of
106 prevalent PD cases, 75 (38 males) patients consented to examination and
assessment. The prevalence of dysphagia was 32.0% (n = 24; 11 males). Using the
response to UPDRS Question 7 as an indicator of the impact of swallowing problems
on the patient, there were significant correlations with cognitive function,
anxiety, depression, quality of life, and UPDRS-reported gait disturbance,
postural instability and problems with falling. There was no correlation with
disease duration, age, or gender. Almost one third of the participants reported
dysphagia. There was a strong correlation between dysphagia and gross motor
skills; patients reporting such problems should be screened for swallowing
problems.

Langue : ANGLAIS