Speech and swallowing in Parkinson's disease

Dysarthria and dysphagia occur frequently in Parkinson's disease (PD). Reduced speech intelligibility is a significant functional limitation of dysarthria and in the case of PD is likely related to articulatory and phonatory impairment. Prosodically based treatments prove to be the most promising for addressing these deficits as well as for maximizing speech intelligibility. Communication-oriented strategies may also help enhance mutual understanding between a speaker and a listener. Dysphagia in PD can result in serious health issues, including aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition, and dehydration. Early identification of swallowing abnormalities is critical so as to minimize the impact of dysphagia on health status and quality of life. Feeding modifications, compensatory strategies, and therapeutic swallowing techniques all have a role in the management of dysphagia in PD.