Investigation of oropharyngeal swallowing and swallowing-breathing coordination in patients with Parkinsonian syndromes. An electrokinesiographic approach

Abstract

Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by dysautonomia in combination with parkinsonian and cerebellar signs. Dysphagia typically occurs in the early stages of the disease also representing a life-threatening condition that is at least in part responsible for the poorer prognosis with respect to Parkinson's disease (PD). The pathophysiology of dysphagia in MSA is still poor understood. Aim: To investigate with an electrokinesiographic approach abnormality of swallowing and coordination between swallowing and breathing in different MSA phenotypes in comparison with PD and age-matched normal subjects.